If last night wasn’t bad enough, things got worse for the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, as F Taylor Hall was sent back to Alberta’s capital to be further examined. Hall is currently suffering from an ankle injury that he originally sustained in the first practice after the All-Star break.
Hall missed three games, then returned for two periods last Monday against the Sharks before getting hurt again and leaving that game. Hall has missed the last two tilts, and likely won’t be playing the rest of this road trip, meaning he’ll miss another five games.
This is a huge blow to the Oilers, who have been awful since losing both Hall and Benoit Pouliot. The team has scored one goal in two games, and has gotten nothing going offensively. This current group is performing at an expansion level clip without these two guys, it’s honestly pretty pathetic.
That’s not the story here, because the Oilers are so far out of it right now that losing with this inept offense actually might help them in the long term. The big story here is that Edmonton continues to mismanage Taylor Hall and his injury situation.
It’s been a microcosm of what has gone on here the last eight seasons, total mismanagement and inept decision making. It started with Sheldon Souray during the training camp after he signed with the team, and has continued all the way to today with their franchise forward.
Hall has been banged up numerous times throughout his career, and our friend Lowetide has taken a look at that many times. Here is a list of Hall’s injury from LT in his blog from a few weeks back:
March 5, 2011—suffers ankle injury and misses the remainder of the season.
November 2011—left shoulder injury, misses 7 games.
January 2012—head injury, misses two games.
March 18, 2012—concussion, misses the remainder of the season.
March 2013—hamstring injury, misses one game.
November 2013—left knee injury, misses 7 games.
November 3, 2014—sprained mcl (right knee), misses 6 games.
That’s a lot of time missed, and a lot of different areas injured. This year was that sprained MCL, and it’s taken a lot out of Hall. Before that injury, Hall was looking good, driving possession again and putting up offense, he had scored ten points in eleven games. Following his injury? Hall has produced far less and has looked bad to the eye. He looks slower, and almost a little hesitant out there.
For all of the criticism Taylor Hall gets, something is undeniable, he always gives it 110% when he is out on the ice. Since returning from that injury early, something he admitted, Hall hasn’t had that same drive. I’m not saying he isn’t trying, because I highly doubt that, but he certainly doesn’t have that same edge, something I think comes from fear of getting hurt again.
The Oilers made the mistake of rushing Hall back earlier this season in hopes of turning the ship around. Edmonton failed to turn it around (shocker!) and hurt Taylor Hall’s development as a player by playing him hurt. Hall getting banged up again tells you everything you need to know, he needs to take some time off.
Sit him the rest of the road trip, hell sit him until he is 100%. If that means sitting him until the season is over, then you sit him until the season is over. The year is over, Edmonton will finish 29th or 30th, there is no need to risk your franchise player.
If Edmonton even wants to sniff the playoff next year, they need Hall at 100%. If that means he sits for the next 20 some odd games, then he sits. The Oilers have screwed a lot of things up over the last few years, but they can’t afford to screw this up. Get Hall healthy, please.
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