Taylor Hall came close to joining the Boston Bruins in the offseason, but it wasn't meant to be. Now that he's finally in Boston, he's open to being in the Hub for the long haul.
The Bruins acquired Hall early Monday morning ahead of the NHL trade deadline. In his first meeting with reporters after the deal went down, Hall shed some light on his recent free agency, saying the Bruins were in the mix before he ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres.
Hall says he was "really close" to signing with the Bruins last offseason before it became clear he'd have to move onto other options.
"I was ready to come to Boston, and it didn't work out," Hall said Monday on a video call with reporters.
"I was ready to be a Bruin and just some other things didn't work out," he added. "It was not any hard feelings or anything like that. Once I knew there was a possibility I'd be traded, Boston was No. 1 on the list."
Hall and the Bruins obviously have bigger things to worry about in the short term. However, Hall will be a free agent again this summer, and it sounds like this might be a test run for a long-term stay.
"I'd love to be a Bruin for a few years," Hall said. "It's obviously been a bad year for me personally. I need to play well. I need to contribute and most of all, I want to be part of a team that wins games. I really believe we can do that here. That's really just my main goal."
A former No. 1 overall draft pick, Hall has struggled to live up to his potential, aside from his 2017-2018 Hart Trophy campaign. Boston likely is banking on a playmaker like David Krejci helping Hall maximize his talents.
