Hall makes first NJ visit since deal to Devils

NEWARK, N.J. — Taylor Hall had about a month to settle down from the shock of being traded from the Edmonton Oilers before being introduced Sunday to New Jersey Devils fans.

During that time, he began to see the positives in his new situation.

“Definitely it was a shocking and overwhelming day (being traded June 29), but a day that I look back on and I’m happy about now, just being here and getting a sense of the city and the vibe and the team, I’m very excited,” Hall said.

There was plenty of speculation that the Oilers were going to trade one of their young players, mired in a playoff drought that predates them selecting Hall with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. But Hall’s name wasn’t one that typically came up, so though a big Oilers trade wasn’t a surprise, his being part of the deal for defenseman Adam Larsson was.

“There were definitely rumors, but you don’t actually think it’ll happen,” Hall said. “You get attached to a team and to a city, and I’m sure the same thing will happen here, I’ll have the same connection to this team in a matter of months, but it was just shocking to hear those words and to be traded, but once you get over that and once you start looking at the team and the city and the situation, you get pretty excited, and that’s where I’m …

continue reading in source devils.nhl.com