Maybe Mikko was the problem after all.
How else to explain the transformation that has occurred with Taylor Hall — and the Carolina Hurricanes, in general — since Mikko Rantanen was sent packing at the trade deadline.
Hall, who is on his sixth team in six years, was initially viewed as sort of an afterthought in the three-player trade that brought him and Rantanen to Carolina on January 24. It wasn’t necessarily that the Hurricanes didn't want him. It was more that the Hurricanes needed a spot to park half of Rantanen's salary and agreed to take on Hall, who is a pending UFA, in order to facilitate the trade.
For agreeing to retain 50% of Rantanen's salary, Chicago also earned a third-round pick. Some had suggested even that was too high a return for a veteran winger who seemed way past his prime.
In his first 12 games with the Hurricanes, the 33-year-old didn’t exactly dispel that notion.
Hall, who had just nine goals and 24 points in 46 games with the Blackhawks, managed just a goal and two assists in first 12 games with the Hurricanes. Rantanen, who had two goals and six points in 13 games, was not much better.
Unhappy with Carolina and making it clear he had no intentions of re-signing in the summer, Rantanen was moved to Dallas on the day of the trade deadline. Since then, something has clicked with Hall, who has exploded with six goals and nine points in eight games.
In a 5-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on March 23, Hall scored a hat trick. A couple of nights later, he was rewarded with a season-high 19 minutes and 18 seconds of ice time. He made the most of it, by blazing by a couple of defenders and scoring his third power play goal since joining the Hurricanes in a 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators.
In the process, the Hurricanes have won nine of their past 11 games — and are 6-2-0 since the trade deadline.
Former Blackhawk Taylor Hall Has Found His Stride With Hurricanes
The Chicago Blackhawks traded Taylor Hall what seems like half a season ago, but he has now appeared in 20 games for the Carolina Hurricanes. While the Blackhawks should have gotten more for him, a third-round pick was fine as the team was looking to move on from him anyways and go with younger players.
When asked what Hall has brought to the team, Sebastian Aho was succinct in his scouting report: “Speed.”
Indeed, Hall is looking more and more like the guy who won the Hart Trophy as league MVP with New Jersey in 2017-18. At the very least, he is reminding everyone why he was once a No. 1 overall pick with the Oilers.
“Yeah, I'm getting there,” Hall told reporters. “It's nice to see goals go in. That always help kind of reinforce that you're doing some things well. I mean, on the ice for a goal against at the end of the game, would have kept the game closer, so there's always stuff to fix, but as far as creating chances and feeling like I have a have a good grasp on where the puck's going and things like that, I think it's coming along.”
With Hall leading the way, Carolina appears to have found the sniper they had been hoping Rantanen would have become. If it continues in the playoffs, maybe the Hurricanes will reward Hall with a contract extension.
Who knows, maybe Rantanen — and not Hall — will be viewed as the afterthought in the blockbuster trade.
'As A Top Line, We Have To Produce': Sebastian Aho, Taylor Hall, Rod Brind'Amour On Loss To Predators
The <a href="http://thn.com/carolina" target="_blank">Carolina Hurricanes</a> lost 3-1 to the <a href="http://thn.com/nashville" target="_blank">Nashville Predators</a> Tuesday night at Lenovo Center.<br><br>It was a classic "Experience Hurricanes Hockey" game as the Canes outshot Nashville 35-16.<br><br>After the game, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour along with Sebastian Aho and Taylor Hall spoke with the media. Here's what they had to say: