Bruins trades former Hart Trophy Hall winner for Blackhawks

The Boston Bruins traded former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall arrive Chicago Blackhawks.

Hall and unrestricted freelance agency rights are pending forward Nick Foligno was sent to the Blackhawks on Monday to claim the rights of guardians Ian Mitchell And Alec air conditionerwho are pending free agents are limited.

The move gives the Blackhawks a top winger they can pair with Connor Bedard, the long-believed No. 1 pick Chicago is expected to pick Wednesday in the draft. NHL. Acquiring Foligno also gives the Blackhawks the chance to sign the veteran winger before free agency kicks off on Saturday.

“We’re excited to add players of the caliber of Nick and Taylor to our organization,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a press release. “Both bring a wealth of experience and leadership that will not only strengthen our forward group but also support the growth of our entire squad.”

For Bruins, going forward from Hall will create much-needed space. Website CapFriendly estimates Bruins, as of Monday, has less than $5 million in available space while having eight unrestricted and two restricted free agents. The team includes the captain Patrice Bergeronwho has said he is undecided about his future after the Bruins were eliminated in the first round of the 2023 knockout round by Florida Newspapers.

Hall’s contract clearing while trading Foligno rights means the Bruins now have close to $11 million in the limited available space.

Although draft week was largely focused on the Blackhawks officially drafting Bedard, Chicago entered the week with $37.5 million. Only Anaheim Duck there’s more room for more players.

Having that flexibility allowed the Blackhawks to land in Hall before a tight deadline, where the draft and free agency start time were just days apart. More teams are expected to pursue deals in place of the weaker free agency market than in previous years.

Having Hall, who scored 16 goals and 36 points in 61 games last season, doesn’t just give Bedard a top-tier veteran winger. It gives him a teammate who knows the expectations that come with being the #1 pick, when Hall finished first in 2010. Edmonton Petroleum.

The 31-year-old Hall is a 20-goal seven-timer who won the Hart Trophy as the tournament’s most valuable player as he guided the team. New Jersey Devil reached the knockout stage by scoring 39 goals and 93 points in the 2017-18 season.

Hall, who also played for Arizona Coyote And buffalo sword, was traded during the 2020-21 season to the Bruins. He has scored a total of 111 points in 158 regular-season games against the Bruins, as well as 17 points from 25 knockouts.

Although Hall is one of the six best strikers, the Bruins are expected to make a move to alleviate their limit problem in the belief that he could be among the departing players.

Foligno, who has scored 10 goals and 26 points, is about to enter his 11th season in which he finished with double-digit goals. He’s in the final season of a two-year contract that earns him $3.8 million annually. If the Blackhawks re-sign Foligno, he will provide them with another option in power play who could go into the penalty shootout, just like before going to the Bruins.

For Bruins, their newfound confines will allow them to address their needs knowing they must make contractual decisions on pending UFAs such as Tyler Bertuzzi, David Kreji And Dmitry Orlov.

Mitchell and Regula add to Bruins’ pending RFA layer featuring Trent Frederic And Jeremy Swaymanboth have made significant contributions as two of the youngest players on the Bruins’ roster.

The same may be true of Mitchell and Regula. Mitchell, 24, who was coached by Boston’s Jim Montgomery at the University of Denver, was a second-round pick in 2017, who has split his time between the AHL and NHL since leaving after the junior season. . Mitchell had eight points from 35 games last season with the Blackhawks and 16 points from 82 games in his NHL career.

Regula, 22, was the 2018 third round pick of Detroit Red Wings who was sent to Chicago in Brendan Perlini trade. The 6-foot-4 Regula scored five goals and 21 points in the AHL last season and made four appearances with the Blackhawks.

Boston General Manager Don Sweeney remained busy, completing a small union swap of restricted free agents shortly after the Hall deal. The Bruins sent forward Shane Bowers arrive New Jersey Devil for the guardian Reilly Walsh.