Top NHL prospect Taylor Hall will not be participating in Friday's NHL combine in Toronto. The back-to-back Memorial Cup MVP has a minor back and knee injury and has opted to rest up rather than exert himself in combine exercises, according to Matt Nichol of BioSteelSports.
Hall has been playing hockey nonstop since late last summer, when he arrived for training camp with the Windsor Spitfires and led his team to its second straight Memorial Cup. He was also named tournament MVP for the second year in a row, becoming the first player in the history of the tournament to receive that honor.
The injuries are nothing major and according to TSN's Bob McKenzie, Hall has earned a bit of a rest.
"If I were Taylor Hall and I played as long and as hard as he did this season, not sure I would do the Combine testing," he asked via Twitter. "What's to be gained?"
Hall is considered a top pick because of his intense desire and willingness to sacrifice his body in order to make a play. Nowhere was that more evident than with his beautiful goal scored during the Memorial Cup shortly after taking a nasty hit along the boards.
Bruins fans think that intensity will make him a perfect Bruin, but whether that can happen, of course, will depend on the Oilers' pick.
