Taylor Hall will officially enter the free agent market on Friday, Arizona Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong confirmed on Wednesday.
Hall, who will turn 29 in November, will be the most iconic striker out there but has had an off-season in which he scored just 16 goals and 52 points in 65 games.
“We wish Taylor all the best,” said Armstrong. “I think it’s a mutual separation between two parties. At this point in time, it wouldn’t be a good match for the coyotes and the direction we are headed. “
Hall is the first choice in 2010 and has 563 points in 627 games split between the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils and Coyotes. However, he has only appeared in 14 career playoff games, including nine with the Coyotes this summer, and is expected to sign with a team that is close to battling for the Stanley Cup.
The Coyotes acquired the 2018 Hart Trophy winner from the Devils for a package that included Arizona’s 2020 first round selections. The Devils used this pick # 18 to pick the Dawson Mercer center on Tuesday.
Hall is the second former first-choice draft pick to have entered the free agent market in recent years. First choice in 2009, John Tavares left the New York Islanders in 2018 to sign a seven-year $ 77 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
