Well everybody, it’s time for a new series for us writers at the Oilers Rig. We’ve decided to get in to the spirit of the holidays and bring you the 12 Days of the Oilers Rig Christmas. So all of the crew at the Rig got together and came up with a list of 12 gifts that we would like to give to the Oilers players, organization and most importantly you the fans. So what gifts you ask, well we will reveal them one day at a time, starting today and ending on Christmas morning.
So without further ado, here is the first gift from the Oilers Rig, and this one goes to none other than Taylor Hall. Mr. Hall the Oilers Rig gives to you a spot on Canada’s Olympic team. You’re welcome.
Taylor Hall on the Olympic team, that’s some gift you say, but does he actually deserve a spot on the team? Where will he fit in? and will it actually happen? Yes, 3rd/4th line and No are my answers to those three questions, but don’t worry I’ll explain.
He Deserve’s it
Hall’s only been playing at better than a point per game clip going back to the beginning of last season, he’s sitting at 27 points in 27 games this season which is 2nd on the team behind Jordan Eberle and 3rd amongst all left wingers in the NHL. Hall has done it in 27 games where as Patrick Sharp and Chris Kunitz have taken 33 and 34 games respectively to earn their 32 points.
He’s been the most productive leftwing in the entire NHL for the last season and a half, playing with a team that needs him to be the man. He wouldn’t be a liability when it comes to discipline on the ice (something to consider because of the tighter calling international refs) Taking only 8 minutes in penalties so far this season and would probably end up drawing quite a few penalties with his speed down the wing.
Talking about his speed, this Olympic tournament is being played on international sized ice. Team Canada needs a player with his speed and ability to rush the puck up the ice quickly. Name me another Canadian LW that has the ability to do that as well as Hall. I can’t think of one that’s for sure. There’s been a knock on his defensive play but surround Hall with the right players and he won’t be a liability thee, in fact maybe we see a drastic improvement in his play without the puck .
Where would he fit in?
Hall if he makes this team is not going to be playing on the first or second line like he has been with the Oilers. No, Taylor will probably end up in a third or fourth line roll, playing eight to twelve minutes per night. But that’s not a bad thing, there are a lot of players that I think you could put at C and RW that would complement Hall and he would do the same.
If I’m Mike Babcock I’d put young Hall with a veteran line Patrice Bergeron at center. Bergeron’s skill set would match perfectly with Hall’s. Bergeron can skate with Hall and would never be too far behind Hall when he is wheeling down the wing with the puck. The other trait that Bergeron brings is, he’s one hell of a good defensive center, his play without the puck can very rarely be questioned, he’s strong on the back check and anticipates the opposition’s moves excellently. That’s Hall’s center so who would you have line up on the right side?
There are a few options on who to put on the right side with a line like this. The Canadian Orientation camp invitees showed us that it is very likely that a few natural centers are going to have to play on the wing, so with that in mind I’m going to continue with the gift giving to Taylor Hall and add John Tavares on this line too. Tavares is an amazing skater, his hockey sense is amongst the best in the league and his play on the defensive side of the puck isn’t that bad either. Tavares, like Hall, is a victim of being on an NHL team with poor goaltending and second rate defense, but combined with Hall and Bergeron I think makes for a line that would be able to handle play on both sides of the puck. And because his hockey sense is so high he shouldn’t have much problem transitioning from center to the wing.
Will it actually happen?
No, unfortunately for Hall a spot on team Canada is more wishful thinking then it is a reality. Like I wrote above, he isn’t really that good without the puck yet. There is a lot of room for Hall to improve, and until he does that I think it’s unlikely that he’ll be a part of this team.
I really hope that Kevin Lowe is lobbying for Hall, but Steve Yzerman isn’t going to want that type of risk in a tournament of such stature. I believe that Hall helps, but I won’t argue with Yzerman and his picks as he is way more qualified than I to make such decisions (as long as he doesn’t pick Rob Zamuner). Maybe, just maybe Hall can be a member of the taxi squad and will get to hang out and learn from these stars for two weeks in Sochi.
It’s fun playing Santa!
Let me know what you think and stay tuned for gift number two tomorrow.
Thanks For Reading
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