Key Takeaways
- The Carolina Hurricanes open the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights tonight, featuring two former Chicago Blackhawks: forward Brandon Saad (limited playoff action) and winger Taylor Hall (a major contributor for Carolina).
- Taylor Hall’s stint with the Blackhawks was hampered by a knee injury, a surprising healthy‑scratch in November 2024, and candid remarks about not being in skating shape when he arrived in Carolina.
- After being traded to the Hurricanes in a three‑team deal involving Mikko Rantanen, Hall has excelled: he posted 18 goals and 48 points in 80 regular‑season games, added five goals and 16 points in the playoffs, and signed a three‑year, $9.5 million extension.
- Hall’s line with Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven has been one of Carolina’s most effective units in the postseason, praised by teammates for generating scoring chances.
- A former first‑overall pick (2010, Edmonton Oilers) and 2018 Hart Trophy winner, Hall has now played over 1,056 NHL games—the most by a No. 1 pick since Alex Ovechkin in 2018—and is poised to set new records for longevity before a first Stanley Cup win.
The Carolina Hurricanes will meet the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight at 7 p.m. CT on ABC. While the matchup features two former Chicago Blackhawks, the narratives surrounding them differ sharply. Brandon Saad, a Golden Knights forward, has seen only five postseason appearances—all coming when captain Mark Stone was sidelined by injury—so his impact on the series remains uncertain.
Taylor Hall’s story is far more prominent. Hall joined the Blackhawks just before the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in a trade that sent Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula to Boston for Hall and Nick Foligno. Acquired to serve as a mentor and linemate for the rookie phenom Connor Bedard, Hall started strongly with two goals and four points in his first seven games of the 2023‑24 season. A knee injury ended his campaign after only ten games.
He returned the following season but never found his footing in Chicago. In mid‑November 2024 Hall was a healthy scratch, a decision he said caught him off guard: “I was surprised by it. It was unexpected from the standpoint of I just didn’t know I was even close to being in that spot, really.” His later comments about arriving in Carolina further illuminated the disconnect. Hall told reporters that when he came from Chicago he “wasn’t in skating shape enough to play the way I wanted to here,” adding that it took a couple of weeks to adapt to the Hurricanes’ high‑tempo style. He praised Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour as a fitness role model, implicitly suggesting that the Blackhawks’ conditioning standards under Luke Richardson and Anders Sørensen had fallen short.
The trade that brought Hall to Carolina occurred on Jan. 24, 2025, in a three‑team deal that sent Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche to the Hurricanes. In the remainder of the 2024‑25 season Hall logged nine goals and 18 points in 31 games after the trade, finishing with nine goals and 24 points in 46 total games for Chicago and Carolina combined.
His performance earned him a three‑year, $9.5 million contract extension from the Hurricanes. At 34, Hall played 80 regular‑season games—only the second time in his 16‑year career he has reached that mark, and the first since 2021‑22. He produced 18 goals and 48 points, his best offensive output in four seasons. In the playoffs he has been even more influential: through 13 games he has five goals, leads Carolina with 11 assists and 16 points, and has been a key cog on a line with Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven that teammates describe as “incredible.” Jordan Martinook noted that the line makes every puck touch feel like a scoring opportunity.
Beyond his immediate contributions, Hall’s résumé adds historical weight to the Finals. Selected first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2010, he captured the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2018 and has now appeared in 1,056 NHL games—the most by any former No. 1 pick since Alex Ovechkin reached the Finals in 2018. If the Hurricanes win the Cup, Hall would surpass defenseman Erik Johnson for the most seasons (14) by a first‑overall pick before claiming a Stanley Cup, further cementing his legacy as a durable, high‑impact veteran.
In short, while Brandon Saad’s playoff role remains questionable, Taylor Hall has turned a tumultuous Blackhawks chapter into a productive, leadership‑laden stint with Carolina, positioning himself as both a pivotal player in the Finals and a notable figure in NHL history.