Edmonton Oilers Taylor Hall not to make 2012-2013 Debut till November -NHL Update
After facing problems on joining a minor league team keeping in view the lockout, Taylor Hall is still in a hurdle as the Edmonton Oilers are still believed to be paying him a salary under the terms and conditions of injured players being excluded from being
locked out.
According to latest reports, Edmonton’s top pick of the 2010 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft will not be allowed to play, due to a few formal technicalities, with their minor affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL), the Oklahoma City Barons,
until later on in November.
The youngster signed on to a huge $42 million deal this past offseason, which is set to begin prior to the 2013-2014 regular season, but Edmonton still has to pay him for the time before that. There are still a few complications in this regard, but Hall
is hoping for things to clear up soon.
“It’s a bit of a weird situation…I know I just signed for $42 million but everybody knows I love to play no matter what they pay me, and right now they’re paying me when I’m not playing,” said Hall.
Edmonton’s number-four player is training with the Barons nowadays and is hoping to get back in full strength before his primetime hockey playing does start. At the age of 20, Hall has become an integral part of the Oilers line-up and is looking forward
to improving his skills for a better run next time around.
“I did take some face-offs yesterday (Friday) and today (Saturday). I did another drill where I had my arm extended, holding off somebody. I couldn’t do that last season (his shoulder was in bad shape even before Colorado’s Ryan Wilson stapled him into the
boards in Denver 11 months ago),” Hall added. “The shoulder feels strong.”
The 20-year-old has two seasons in the NHL, the last being his best in which he put up 53 points (27 goals, 26 assists) in 61 games played. He is yet to put up a full hockey season, and is expected to be crossing the 70-80 point marker if he does in the
next season or two.
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