Coyotes made the right call not trading Hall

The Arizona Coyotes made a minor shock wave at the NHL Trade Deadline. Not only did they acquire Markus Hannikainen from the Columbus Blue Jackets for practically nothing, but they also did not trade Taylor Hall

People have wondered if the Coyotes would trade Hall almost immediately after they acquired him. The logic being, if the Coyotes were out of the playoff race it would be better to get something for the pending unrestricted free agent.

While the idea of the Coyotes shopping Taylor Hall if they were out of the playoff spot makes some logical sense, it ultimately wasn’t to be. The Coyotes do not have a playoff spot, but could easily overtake a team in the Pacific Division.

If the Coyotes had traded Hall it would signal the end of the team’s playoff hopes, to both the team and the fanbase. The Coyotes have been getting better season after season and it is having a positive effect of attendance. The Coyotes average attendance this season is 14,595, the highest since the 2008-09 season where they averaged 14,626.

Taylor Hall has been great in his time with the Coyotes. In 31 games with the team, he has 9 goals and 16 assists and he has been stellar lately with Conor Garland. While things are tight, the Coyotes playoff odds would be significantly worse.

Hall being with the team at the end of the season also has benefits for the Desert Dogs. They will be the only team able to offer Hall an eight-year contract, and the team seems poised to attempt to re-sign the former Hart Trophy winner and All-Star.

With Hall on the team, the Coyotes are in a much better position to make the playoffs. They still aren’t in a great position, and the fact that they have played more games than the rest of the Conference and have secured their playoff spot is a cause for concern.