The New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers made a big splash
on Wednesday as they swapped two big names in their organizations.
The Devils sent defenseman Adam Larsson to Edmonton in
exchange for Taylor Hall. Hall, 24, gives the Devils the top line winger they
have been looking for while the Oilers get to shore up their back end in the
deal with the 23-year-old Larsson.
Hall the number one overall selection in the 2010 National Hockey
League Entry Draft, has spent six seasons with the Oilers where he has scored
132 goals and 196 assists in 381 games. During the 2015-2016 season, Hall put
up 26 goals and 39 assists in 82 games.
The Calgary native, reunites with former Windsor Spitfires
teammate and Devils center, Adam Henrique with this trade. Along with Henrique,
he helped lead the Spitfires to two Ontario Hockey League Championships and two
Memorial Cup Championships.
The Devils were ranked 30th in the league in scoring
during the 2015-2016 season, with Kyle Palmieri leading the way for them.
Palmieri is eligible to become a restricted free agent on Friday. The Devils
tendered him his qualifying offer to be guaranteed to receive compensation if
another team gives him an offer sheet.
Larsson, the Devils number pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, put
up three goals and 15 assists for New Jersey in 82 games during the 2015-2016
season, while averaging 22:30 of ice time per game. Over his career, he has nine
goals and 55 points in 274 games.
Larsson gives the Oilers another top right-handed defenseman
to their lineup with Mark Fayne as the only other one they have signed for the
2016-2017 season. Adam Clendening and Eric Gryba are scheduled to become
unrestricted free agents on July 1st.
The trade was a straight up player for player deal made
between the two clubs. Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli has now trade
the top two players from the 2010 NHL Draft after having sent the number two
selection, Tyler Seguin to the Dallas Stars, in 2013, while he was the GM of
the Boston Bruins.
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