NHL Free Agents 2020: Projecting Taylor Hall and Top Contracts This Offseason

When the Arizona Coyotes traded for New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall on Dec. 16, the hope was that the former NHL MVP could help the team end their long postseason drought.

However, prior to the NHL suspending the season because of coronavirus concerns Thursday, the Coyotes had won only eight of their last 25 games and were on the outside of the wild-card race looking in. Hall had 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 35 games for Arizona, but that hasn't equated to team success.

It's unclear when/if the NHL regular season will resume, so it's possible that Hall has played his last game for the Coyotes given he's set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

With Hall nearing his opportunity to test the market, here's a closer look at him and several other top players who could sign big deals this summer.

Taylor Hall, Left Wing

Hall broke out in the 2017-18 season, when he tallied a career-high 93 points (39 goals, 54 assists) in 76 games for the Devils. However, he played only 33 games for New Jersey the following season because of left knee surgery after putting up 11 goals and 26 assists.

Prior to getting traded to the Coyotes, Hall scored only six goals in 30 games to open the 2019-20 season, although he also had 19 assists. But Hall is still only 28, and he's shown that he's capable of being one of the league's best impact players.

Arizona may not have fared well while trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 season, but Hall has been a productive player and given it a dynamic offensive player that it had been lacking before.

Perhaps the Coyotes will look to bring back Hall for the 2020-21 season, but they would almost certainly need to clear some cap space in order to do that, as Hall should still get a decent-sized contract despite his lower production and injury issues over the past two seasons. Hall is one of the best offensive players slated to be on the market, and that should bode well for him financially.

Alex Pietrangelo, Defenseman

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo will easily be the best defenseman available on the free-agent market this summer as he's been a major part of the team's success over the past 10 seasons, which included winning the Stanley Cup in 2019.

A two-time All-Star, Pietrangelo has played at least 70 games in each non-lockout season over the 10 past years. He also contributes offensively, as he had 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) in 70 games for St. Louis before the season was suspended. That was only two shy of his career-high total of 54, which he tallied over 78 games in the 2017-18 campaign.

St. Louis would likely prefer to keep Pietrangelo, who has been a big part of their team for the last decade. However, The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford believes the Blues wouldn't pay him more than an average annual value of $9.5 million, which might not be enough to secure the defenseman's future.

If another team offers more, Pietrangelo could be suiting up elsewhere for the first time in his career.

Braden Holtby, Goaltender

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Several talented goalies are slated to be on the free-agent market this year, but Braden Holtby could be the one who nets the largest contract. The 2016 Vezina Trophy winner is a five-time All-Star and helped the Capitals to win the Stanley Cup in 2018.

However, Holtby had a career-worst save percentage at the time of the NHL's suspension; his .897 mark was well below his career average of .916. With rookie Ilya Samsonov impressing this season—he has a .913 save percentage in 26 games—Holtby's time with Washington may be coming to an end. Plus, the Caps already handed out a five-year, $46 million extension to center Nicklas Backstrom earlier this year, so they may not want to dish out another big contract.

It should be an interesting situation to watch as it develops, as there will likely be plenty of suitors for a goalie as experienced and decorated as Holtby, who is still only 30.