Natural Confidence, Lethal Shot Prove Taylor Hall is ‘Born to be No.1 Overall Pick’

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Jun 20, 2010

Natural Confidence, Lethal Shot Prove Taylor Hall is ‘Born to be No.1 Overall Pick’ Saturday, we looked at Tyler Seguin, the potential No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2010 NHL Entry draft. Sunday, we look at Taylor Hall, another prospect that could be taken first overall.

The Bruins have the No. 2 overall pick and, that being said, they will take either Hall or Seguin. With the Bruins having plenty of depth up the middle on their organizational depth chart, Hall, the Windsor Spitfires' winger, is the player that everyone seems to believe would be the perfect fit for the Black and Gold.

This past season, the Bruins finished dead-last in scoring after finishing second in the league in lighting the lamp in the previous season. Obviously trading away Phil Kessel and the 36 goals he scored in 2008-09 hurt, but it's clear there is a lack of scoring from the wing position on the current roster and in the organization. 

Hall, the reigning two-time Memorial Cup MVP, just led the Spitfires to their second straight OHL and Memorial Cup championships. The Kingston, Ontario, native is an explosive player with a cannon for a shot from the wing who produced 123 goals in three seasons with Windsor. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound winger is not afraid to go into the dirty areas either and is tough as nails.

Sportsnet.ca junior hockey columnist Patrick King, who has followed the career of Hall closely, shared some insight about the potential top pick's strengths, weaknesses and personality. 

Here is what King had to say about Hall:

Strengths
"Hall’s greatest strengths are his speed and his goal-scoring ability. He has the ability to score highlight-reel goals and there are very few defensemen in the league that can handle his speed.

His desire for the puck is incredible — picture an incredibly skilled Happy Gilmore screaming "That's my puck, baby! Don't you ever touch my puck!" If he wants the puck, no one will take it away from him or prevent him from getting it."

Weaknesses
"He is reckless or careless sometimes, and this puts him in vulnerable positions. He is good at getting up from big hits, but in the NHL, he might not bounce up as fast and he needs to just realize that. Not to say he should change who he is, but just be more aware.

He has worked out a lot and he is well-equipped to handle big hits, but the NHL is different from the OHL and he just needs to know that going in."

Personality
"He’s born to be the No. 1 overall pick. He handles the media well and he is very personable. He’s great with fans as well. He obviously knows the game when it comes to public relations, but you can tell he has a natural confidence and loves the game, so he is always happy to talk about hockey."

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