The Edmonton Oilers traded forward Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Adam Larsson on Wednesdsay, the club announced.
The Oilers have been rumored for weeks to be in the market for a defenseman, but many figured if Hall was on his way out of town, a package of some sort would be coming the other way.
Hall, the first overall pick by the Oilers in 2010, will turn 25 on Nov. 14. He had 26 goals and 39 assists last season, suiting up in all 82 games for the first time in his career. His best season came in 2013-14, when he posted 80 points - 27 goals and 53 assists - in 75 games. He is one of the game's best young offensive talents, and signed through 2020 at a cap hit of $6 million.
Larsson will turn 24 in November and was the fourth overall pick in 2011 by the Devils. He's a stay-at-home defender, and had three goals and 15 assists in 82 games last season. He posted the lowest Corsi For percentage of his five-year career in 2015-16 at 43.5 percent.
The Oilers aren't saving a lot of money in this deal, as Larsson is signed through 2021 at a cap number of $4.167 million. However, the trade will ramp up speculation that the Oilers will be signing pending unrestricted free-agent winger Milan Lucic to a lucrative contract on July 1, in order to make up for the loss of Hall's offense.
Regardless of what happens Friday, this trade is likely to be blasted by Oilers fans in Edmonton, while lauded in Newark.
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