Hall, acquired from Boston, skated with Bedard in Chicago Blackhawks training camp this weekend. The 2018 Hart Trophy winner is nothing but impressed with his potential linemate in Chicago.
The Chicago Blackhawks might not have acquired 31-year-old left winger Taylor Hall from the Boston Bruins just to skate on a line with 2023 top NHL draft pick Connor Bedard.
But that might have been a big reason why.
Hall had the best season of his career in 2017-18 with the New Jersey Devils, winning the Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP, playing with then-rookie center Nico Hischier. Hischier, the No. 1 draft pick in 2017 (at the United Center), brought out the best in Hall and vice versa.
And Hall, a top draft pick himself in 2010 by Edmonton, knows about the pressure and expectations that go with that "honor."
In the following video, see what Hall has to say about Bedard's skills after skating on a line with the NHL's "next generational talent" for the first time in 2023 training camp.
Said Hall: "For him, he's got the shot obviously, but I think overall as a player, he makes plays, he sees the ice really well, he makes little plays that keep plays alive, he skates really well, he's kind of the whole package."
And Hall thinks the hype of being a top NHL draft pick is more intense today than when he was selected No. 1 overall 13 years ago. The reason is largely technology and the explosion of social media chatter. See the video below:
"You weren’t getting highlights on your phone 10 minutes after they happened," Hall said. "You’re still watching SportsCenter at night, you’re still getting the stories like it used to be. I think the expectations and the hype is a little bit different for him.
"It’s important for him, when he leaves the rink, to get away from hockey, find something to do to take his mind off it," Hall added. "It’s a long year, and you can’t just think about hockey all the time, especially as you get later on in your career."
