New Jersey Devils superstar Taylor Hall is healthy and hungry to help his club return to the postseason for the second time in three years.
"We're hoping for a playoff berth this year. I think anything less would be disappointing," Hall told sportsandmoore.com on Saturday.
Hall, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in February, hasn't played since Dec. 23, but he expects to be ready for Devils training camp in September.
"I feel really good," Hall said. "It's been a long process not playing a game for that long. It really takes a toll on you mentally, but being back on the ice and being able to play at a pretty high intensity, even though it's just the summer, feels really nice. I haven't had any issues with the knee so far since I've been skating, and it's been a really good process, so hopefully that can continue into (training) camp."
Despite being limited to just 33 games last season, Hall finished fifth in team scoring for the 29th-place Devils with 37 points.
New Jersey ended a six-year playoff drought in 2017-18, but the club missed the postseason in 2018-19 after a 25-point drop-off. Devils general manager Ray Shero has been active this offseason, however, selecting blue-chip prospect Jack Hughes with the first overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, and trading for All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban and forward Nikita Gusev.
Shero also signed veteran forward Wayne Simmonds to a one-year deal on July 1.
"A guy like Subban has had a lot of success in the League before," Hall said. "A couple of unknowns with Gusev and Hughes, but they're highly skilled players who can hopefully make a huge impact on our team.
"Simmonds is a known commodity and someone who's looking to bounce back and I think he has it in him. I've played against him for a long time in the League and know how hard he is to play against. So with those four guys, and hopefully a healthy year for us, hopefully we can do some damage."
Hall captured the 2017-18 Hart Trophy after recording a career-best 39 goals and 93 points during his second year with the Devils. He became the first player in franchise history to win the award.
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