Taylor Hall could end up playing a big role in the future of the Arizona Coyotes if he signs a new contract with them.
The Coyotes tried to improve their chances of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2012 by acquiring the 28-year-old forward in a trade from the New Jersey Devils on Dec. 16.
But when they sent New Jersey three prospects and two conditional draft picks, including one in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, it was their intention to keep the pending unrestricted free agent beyond this season.
The plan, general manager John Chayka said Wednesday, was to convince Hall that the Coyotes have become a perennial playoff contender and to use the Phoenix area's weather and affordability to further their push to sign him.
"That was our bet when we acquired Taylor," Chayka said. "I think he's enjoyed living here and enjoyed playing with our team. He's always wanted to be in a playoff hunt and have a chance to compete for a Stanley Cup. We feel like we've got that here, and not just this year but every year moving forward.
"We can be a real top destination for any player in the League."
Formal negotiations between Hall and his agent, Darren Ferris, with the Coyotes are tabled until after the season, which was paused by the NHL on March 12 because of concerns about the coronavirus. Talks since have been casual, Chayka said, with it unknown when the season could resume.
"We'll continue to keep talking, but until things stabilize a bit, it's tough to do any business of that magnitude," Chayka said. "Taylor knows what we think of him as a person, as a player, and at the right time we'll maybe look to move forward on those discussions. But anything right now is probably on the back burner, realistically."
The Coyotes (33-29-8) are four points behind the Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.
Hall, who leads Arizona with 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 35 games since the trade, said last week that he is focused on getting back to playing and making the postseason, not his next contract.
"It is definitely a weird time to possibly be a free agent, but there's so much uncertainty throughout the League ... throughout the world, really," Hall told Sportsnet. "So I'm not as worried about free agency as I am about getting back to hockey and hoping that we can somehow get into the playoffs. I think everyone just wants some normalcy back in their lives."
Hall has carried a team with a lengthy playoff drought into the playoffs in his NHL career, his 44 points (21 goals, 23 assists) in the final 32 games in 2017-18 helping the Devils to their first postseason berth since 2012 and earning him the Hart Trophy voted as NHL MVP.
"In order to compete for a Stanley Cup, you need special players to make special plays, those big games when it's a 1-1 game late in the game or when you're down and you need to score that big goal with the goalie pulled or whatever the scenario might be," Chayka said. "You need those guys, and Taylor's been able to do that throughout his career. … He's a difference maker, and he's done that for us."
One day after trading for Hall, Arizona improved to 20-12-4 and took over first place in the Pacific Division with a 3-2 win against the San Jose Sharks.
But two nights later, in Hall's home debut with the Coyotes on Dec. 19, No. 1 goalie Darcy Kuemper sustained a lower-body injury in an 8-5 loss to the Minnesota Wild. They went 11-13-4 without Kuemper, who was 15-8-2 with a 2.17 goals-against average, a .929 save percentage and two shutouts before the injury.
The Coyotes, 3-5-0 in their past eight games, were scheduled to begin a five-game homestand against the Canucks the day the NHL paused the season. Whether Arizona gets the opportunity to try to clinch that elusive playoff berth is as unknown as Hall's future with them.
"He's an elite player," Chayka said. "He's a star player most nights, if not every night. He generates a lot for himself, his teammates. He's a guy that plays in the guts of the game. He's been a terrific addition for us, and like we talked about, we hope to have him long term as well."
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