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Hall's first full season with the Bruins was solid, if unspectacular. He finished the year with 20 goals and 61 points in 80 games. They are perfectly reasonable numbers, but a far cry from the 39 goals and 93 points we saw from Hall when he won the Hart Trophy in 2017-18 with New Jersey. Hall has never scored at that level before or since, so it would be foolish to expect a massive bump in Hall's numbers moving forward. Hall is still a mid-round fantasy option given his role on a decent club, but don't overpay on draft day.
A trade-deadline move from Buffalo resuscitated the career of the former Hart Trophy winner, who racked up eight goals and 14 points in 16 games for Boston after scoring just twice with 17 assists in 37 contests while with the Sabres. Hall's Beantown production was aided by a 16.7 shooting percentage that would've been the highest of his career, but he showed enough to earn a four-year, $24-million contract to return to the Bruins. It's worth noting that center David Krejci announced he will be playing overseas in 2021-22, leaving a question mark on Boston's second line between Hall and fellow veteran winger Craig Smith. If the likes of Charlie Coyle or Tomas Nosek can capably fill that role, Hall should have no trouble returning full value to fantasy managers.
While it wasn't anywhere near his Hart Trophy winning performance in 2017-18, Hall bounced back from a major knee injury with the seventh 50-plus point of his career in 2019-20. The smooth-skating winger bet on himself with a one-year deal to join the Sabres, which figures to see him link up with Jack Eichel on Buffalo's top line. In Eichel, the 27-year-old Hall will be playing with one of the most gifted centers of his career, which could help him get back over the 20-goal and 80-point thresholds for the third time in his career. There's certainly some risk in drafting Hall in the early rounds due to his inconsistency, but he has all the necessary tools to be an elite fantasy producer.
Hall is among the NHL's most productive forwards when healthy, but it's hard to ignore his ever-growing list of injury concerns. He's only dressed for every game in a season once (2015-16) and won the Hart Trophy in 2017-18, when he missed only six contests and recorded 93 points. Hall followed up that MVP campaign with 37 points in 33 games last season before being shut down for arthroscopic knee surgery. He should be back at full health to start the season and will be motivated to perform in a contract year, but those who pay up in hopes of a repeat of 2017-18 should keep in mind that Hall has only topped 65 points twice in his career.
Hall was as important to his team's success as any player in the league last season, posting career highs with 39 goals, 93 points and a plus-14 rating to take home the Hart Trophy as league MVP. He thrived in all situations, producing 13 goals and 37 points on the power to play to go with his stellar 5-on-5 play. The lone concern about Hall is that his second-best year -- an 80-point campaign in 2013-14 -- was followed by a major step back in the form of a 38-point output over 53 games. It's worth noting that injuries played a role in his decline that time, so a healthy season from Hall would likely yield fantasy production again, even if his shooting percentage normalizes back to his career 10.9 percent mark from last year's personal-best 14.0.
Before last season, Hall was traded from an Oilers team that couldn't figure things out defensively to a Devils squad that was outclassed in every phase of the game on a near-nightly basis. His production unsurprisingly declined in the new environment, though the 25-year-old winger was still able to lead the club in assists (33) while tying Kyle Palmieri for the points lead (53) despite missing 10 games. The addition of first overall pick Nico Hischier should immediately upgrade the talent on Hall’s line, though playing alongside an 18-year-old center is unlikely to help improve the 2010 first overall pick’s minus-36 career rating. A healthy Hall could easily approach the point-per-game pace he managed from 2011-13, but he carries more risk than most established stars.
Although he didn’t experience much team success in Edmonton, Hall has been quite productive on a personal level since being drafted first overall in 2010. Many would argue the Devils got away with a rather low price to acquire a 24-year-old winger who already has four 50-point NHL campaigns to his name, as all they had to do was send away disappointing (if promising) blueliner Adam Larsson. Hall’s career minus-27 rating is due in large part to playing for atrocious Oilers teams, and it’s foolish to expect much of a drop from last season’s 65 points even if he’s asked to focus a bit more on defense in New Jersey. Projected linemates Adam Henrique and Kyle Palmieri both scored 30 goals in 2015-16, so the trio should form one of the most dangerous lines in hockey.
How many injuries can this young stud possibly suffer? Hall plays hard and fast, and that has resulted in far too many trips to the infirmary in his short career. He hasn’t actually played a full 82-game season yet (the lockout year doesn’t count), and has been beset with a laundry list of maladies that includes a concussion, facial laceration, bum shoulder, knee sprains (both legs), ankle sprain, bone bruise (foot), and broken foot. Some of those injuries are fluky, but some are the result of his style. He’ll likely get paired up with the speedy Connor McDavid and could easily put up career numbers if he can stay on the ice. If Hall is willing to make some necessary adjustments to his game in order to avoid injured reserve, he'll be worth his draft day price.
Hall had his best season to date in 2013-14 in compiling 27 goals and 80 points, and he could certainly surpass those numbers should the Oilers take another step in their development as a unit. The left winger is a true sniper and is just starting to scratch the surface of his immense talent. He'll once again play on a line with Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and this trio should be able to strike fear in opposing defenses. Staying healthy was a problem for Hall earlier in his career, but he made some much-needed adjustments to his physical game and has only missed 10 games in the last two seasons combined. A big jump in production this season would be tough, but another 80 points would be just fine. He's the top fantasy target on the Oilers. Don't let him get by you.
Hall is yet another impressive young gun playing for the Oilers and maybe even the best of them all. Hall plays with Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on one of the best lines in the NHL, a line that one day may be the top one in the league if all three continue to develop at their current paces. The only possible knock on Hall is that he has had some injury concerns over his short career, but did manage to play in 45 of 48 games last season, snagging an impressive 50 points along the way. Bottom line is that he is too good to let slip out of your top 30 players come draft day ... or maybe even top 10. Ninety points is within his reach.
Hall is one of the Oilers' best young players. He has scored 49 goals and added 46 assists in his first two NHL seasons. The only negative that can be attributed to him is that he has not been able to stay healthy in either season. Hall missed 17 games in his rookie campaign with an ankle injury and than missed another 21 games last season with a shoulder injury. The shoulder should be 100 percent by the time camp opens in September. And with the talent around him -- and if he can remain healthy -- a 30+ goal season should easily be within his reach.
Hall, who was selected first overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, made an immediate impact for the Oilers in his rookie campaign. In 65 games, he had 22 goals (eight on the power play) and 20 assists. Hall was playing some of the best hockey of his short career before sustaining a high ankle sprain that shelved him for the final six weeks of the regular season. Keep in mind that with all the injuries the Oilers suffered last season, it wasn't like there was a ton of talent surrounding Hall, who could see 30-plus goals in his sophomore campaign.
Hall was the first overall pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft and the Oilers prize after finishing with the worst record in the NHL last season. The question becomes will Hall start the season with Edmonton? The Oilers need any kind of goal scoring they can get and although Hall is sure to go through some rough patches if he starts the season with the big club he seems to have all the poise and maturity to excel immediately.
