The New Jersey Devils kick off their first-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes on April 20. The Devils will look to start the post-season on the right foot and pick up a win against their division rival in Game 1.
For this series against the Hurricanes, the Devils will be playing against their former top star in veteran forward Taylor Hall.
Hall was acquired by the Hurricanes from the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this season and has been a solid part of their roster since. In 31 regular-season games after the trade, Hall scored nine goals and recorded 18 points. This was after Hall had nine goals and 24 points in 46 games with the Blackhawks before the trade.
Due to his solid play, Hall has found a home on the Hurricanes' second line, forming a skilled trio with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Andrei Svechnikov. In addition, Hall is used on the Hurricanes' second power-play unit, so he has emerged as a nice part of their forward group.
Hall was excellent for the Devils during his four-year tenure with the team, scoring 76 goals and recording 208 points in 211 games. He most memorably won the Hart Memorial Trophy for the 2017-18 season after recording 39 goals and 93 points in 76 games. He was the main reason why the Devils snuck into the playoffs that year after missing them in the previous five seasons.
Hall was traded by the Devils to the Arizona Coyotes during the 2018-19 season. Now, six years after his time in New Jersey came to an end, Hall will be facing off against the Devils as an opponent in a big playoff series. It will be very fascinating to see if the Devils can beat Hall and the Hurricanes from here.
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