The Boston Bruins have traded Taylor Hall and the rights to Nick Foligno to the Chicago Blackhawks.
If the silly season hasn't already begun, it has now.
The Boston Bruins kicked off draft week with a bang on Monday, trading forwards Taylor Hall and the signing rights to Nick Foligno to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for the signing rights to RFAs Ian Mitchell and Alex Regula.
The Bruins did not retain any salary in the deal, clearing Hall's entire $6-million cap hit off their books.
It just goes to show how valuable cap space is in the modern NHL.
With a number of free agents to re-sign and very little wiggle room to do it, the Bruins took a massive swing to clear salary space ahead of the draft and free agency, sending out a useful player like Hall practically for free. The former Hart Trophy winner signed a four-year extension with the Bruins back in 2021 and seemed like a perfect fit for the club throughout his tenure, particularly in 2021-22 when he finished with 20 goals and 61 points in 81 games.
Hall battled injuries in 2022-23 that led to a drop-off in his offensive production, limiting the 31-year-old to just 36 points in 61 games. But Hall still managed to chip in 16 goals despite his health-addled playing time, putting him right on track for his typical 20-ish-goal output.
Alas, it wasn't enough to save Hall from becoming a cap casualty.
With $6 million in newfound space to work with, the Bruins are expected to take a run at re-signing free agent Tyler Bertuzzi, whom the team acquired at the trade deadline and seemed to be a perfect fit.
Needless to say, the drama has only just begun.