The Sabers agreed to trade Taylor Hall to the Bruins in a deal that would allow Curtis Lazar to go to Boston, with Buffalo receiving Anders Bjork and a second round in 2021, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Hall waived its clause without motion to facilitate the transaction, pending a trade call. The Sabers retain 50% of Hall’s salary, the source said.
TSN only reported the full trade deal on Sunday night.
Hall won 2018 league MVP honors during the New Jersey Devils, but has now been traded twice in two years.
After the Devils traded Hall to the Arizona Coyotes during the 2019-20 season, Hall signed a $ 8 million one-year contract with the Sabers in free agency during the past season. The 29-year-old slammed himself to increase his value while playing on Jack Eichel’s wing.
Instead, Buffalo’s season was a disaster. The Sabers endured an unbeaten streak of 18 games, the longest in the salary period, and sacked coach Ralph Krueger in March. Eichel was injured and Hall scored only 37 goals in 37 games.
Hall’s 0.51 points per game is a worst career and he has a minus-21 rating, the fourth worst in the NHL this season.
Hall and Buffalo showed mutual interest in a new contract earlier this season, but the Sabers continue.
In his 11-year career, Hall has only played 14 playoff games. He is now joining a Boston team to try and push at least one more Stanley Cup run out of his veteran core. After captain Zdeno Chara and veteran defender Torey Krug parted ways in the off-season, the Bruins were a work in progress in 2021.
Boston is currently holding on to the fourth playoff spot in the Eastern Division. However, the Bruins have a young blue line and are fifth worst in the league in 5-to-5 goals per 60 minutes, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Prior to the Hall agreement, the Bruins acquired Ottawa Senators defender Mike Reilly for a third pick.