Since the Bruins acquired Taylor Hall from the Sabres late Sunday night, it's become increasingly clear that Boston was where Hall wanted to be, and that in some ways this was a match that was made to be.
There had been numerous reports last offseason that the Bruins had interest in signing Hall as a free agent, but it wasn't clear at the time just how close the two sides were to getting a deal done.
Hall said Monday that it was "really close" and that he was "ready to come to Boston." Bruins general manager Don Sweeney confirmed later Monday that the two sides had talked, and that the Bruins had continued to keep tabs on Hall's potential availability throughout this season.
Hall also revealed that his no-movement clause "really helped me become a Bruin." Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams later confirmed that his options were limited when it came to trading Hall, and that Hall had really zeroed in on Boston.
So, Hall clearly wanted to come to Boston. Now the question is how long he'll be here. Hall is a free agent again after the season, but said Monday that he'd "love to be a Bruin for a few years."
Sweeney was asked about the possibility of signing Hall to an extension, and said they're going to have to see how he fits in and plays here first.
"It usually comes with success and fitting in," Sweeney said. "Taylor will have a say in that, and our group will have a say in that in terms of how those two things come together. It's a short period of time that you have to find the chemistry and find out where you fit, and he's comfortable. We've had players in the past that, they might have been expiring deals, but we felt they would be a good fit going forward and we'd like to believe that with Taylor.
"I think the proof will be in the results. And again, not to add any expectation on him, I think he accepts the challenge and that's why he chose – he had a say in this. He had a chance and some evaluations talking with Kevyn Adams, who did a really good job communicating with us to where things are at and where we thought we'd be able to find a deal, and we're fortunate Taylor chose us. And there's a give and take with that. We'll see how it unfolds. Get him comfortable and hopefully he has success, as much success as possible."
