The ongoing situation with Artemi Panarin and the Columbus Blue Jackets has caused a ripple effect around the NHL.
As Elliotte Friedman explained Saturday during the Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada, when it became known that the Blue Jackets would not be able to negotiate a contract extension with the pending unrestricted free agent, other teams began taking stock in their own upcoming expiring contracts.
The New Jersey Devils were one of those teams, as star winger Taylor Hall has just one year remaining on his current deal before he is slated to become a UFA in 2020.
“One of the rumblings was maybe New Jersey might think of trading Taylor Hall now as opposed to waiting until the summer,” Friedman said.
Devils general manager Ray Shero, who acquired Hall for Adam Larsson in a one-for-one swap with the Edmonton Oilers in 2016, told Friedman there is “zero chance” the teams trades Hall this season.
The 2018 Hart Memorial Trophy winner’s $6-million salary cap hit remains one of the top bargains in the NHL.
The Devils sit 12 points out of a playoff spot 31 games remaining in their schedule.
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