NHL Free Agency 2020: Latest Predictions for Taylor Hall, Coveted Targets

With the 2019-20 NHL season on hold, the market for the league's top free agents this offseason is beginning to take shape.

Arizona Coyotes forward Taylor Hall could command the largest deal, and he has not shied away from saying he is looking for a long-term contract. St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo should attract plenty of interest, and a few contenders have already been mentioned to be in the mix for his signature.

Both players could remain with their current teams, but given other teams' needs to improve and the lack of top-tier depth on the free-agent market, they should have a lot of interest when the offseason starts.

Predictions for Coveted Targets

Taylor Hall

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Hall's move from the New Jersey Devils to Arizona has not been as successful as he would have hoped, as he produced 27 points in 35 games.

The 28-year-old has not propelled the Coyotes into a favorable position in the standings. They sit on the outside looking in at the Western Conference wild-card spots.

Despite his less-than-ideal season, Hall is expected to be the top prize on the free-agent market when the offseason kicks off.

Hall told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun that Coyotes general manager John Chayka and his agent, Darren Ferris, have had some contact: "Both sides have interest in each other, and Darren and John have talked a little bit, but there haven't been any numbers tossed around or anything like that," Hall said. "At this point, both sides are just waiting to see what happens with this."

The winger also mentioned to LeBrun that he would "rather get security" from a long-term deal, which he favors over a potential short-term contract that could come about in the current financial climate.

There is a chance that some free agents sign shorter deals in the offseason so that they are in position to make more money in a year or two when NHL revenue is projected to rebound.

Hall is on the final year of a seven-year, $42 million deal that he signed with Edmonton in 2013. Since then, he has been traded twice. He has seven 50-point seasons in his career, which is much better than what the other available forwards can offer.

While he has familiarity with Arizona, it has the least salary-cap space for the 2020-21 season, and the team has not surged into a playoff spot with Hall in tow.

The most intriguing destination for Hall could be the Colorado Avalanche, who boast the fifth-most cap space and a roster in position to challenge for the Stanley Cup.

If the Avalanche paired Hall with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and others, they could climb further up the Western Conference. They are second in the Central Division behind the St. Louis Blues.

Prediction: Hall lands in Colorado.

Alex Pietrangelo

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

St. Louis not only faces a threat from Colorado in coming years, but it also has to make a major offseason decision of its own.

Pietrangelo is expected to be the most sought-after defenseman on the market, and the Blues could have the advantage since the 30-year-old has only ever played for the franchise.

The Athletic's Scott Burnside reported Pietrangelo "will be coveted by teams like Toronto and Las Vegas if the Blues can't find a way to make it work."

Pietrangelo will be a coveted target because of his offensive prowess, experience and leadership en route to the Blues' 2019 Stanley Cup triumph.

He is in the middle of his second 50-point season in three years, and he possesses a career high of 16 goals. If he racks up four more assists when the season resumes, Pietrangelo would enter free agency off his first 40-assist campaign.

The Blues do not have an abundance of cap space at $11.7 million, and they have four defenseman already slated to make more than $1 million next season.

Losing Pietrangelo would hurt the Blues, but it would not be a massive blow since they have Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk as younger options on the roster.

Toronto has less cap space available than St. Louis, but it has a greater need at the point.

The Maple Leafs could re-sign Tyson Barrie or they could try to land Pietrangelo, who has better offensive capabilities than their incumbent defensemen.

Only one defenseman ranks in the top eight in points on Toronto's roster, and in order to compete with the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, it needs more scoring depth at the position.

If the Maple Leafs make a big-money splash for Pietrangelo, they would have three defensemen making more than $5 million next season.

Vegas has less of a need than Toronto since it has four point players locked up on deals over $2.5 million for the 2020-21 campaign.

While the Golden Knights need to improve to fend off the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division, they do not lack scoring in defense like Toronto, as Shea Theodore and Nate Schmidt are both over 30 points.

Toronto makes the most sense outside of St. Louis, and if the Blues can justify moving on from Pietrangelo while improving their depth elsewhere during free agency, he may have a new team next season.

Prediction: Toronto makes strong push and signs Pietrangelo.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Hockey Reference. Contract information obtained from Spotrac.