The Edmonton Oilers took a key step for the future today by signing forward Taylor Hall to a seven-year, $42 million contract extension.
“When they said seven years I didn’t blink,” the 20-year-old Hall said. “I’m comfortable being here for that long. I think by that time … I hope we’re a perennial threat. That’s my main goal and my mindset when I signed the deal.”
During two seasons with the Oilers, Hall has accumulated 49 goals and 46 assists in 126 games.
“It’s good, I’m really positive about it,” said Hall. “I’m not going to say I’m perfect on Day 1 but it feels really good now and I’m excited about the process of being healthy.”
Hall, 20, was Edmonton’s first choice in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and number one overall. He was also the first in a string of number one overall draft picks for the Oilers that included Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011) and Nail Yakupov (2012) in subsequent years.
Hall still has one more year left on his entry-level contract with the Oilers, which carries a cap hit of $3.75 million. His new contract will carry a $6 million cap hit, making him the highest paid player on the team. It also puts him on par with players like Mike Cammalleri, who posted 20 goals and 21 assists last season, and slightly below Henrik Zetterberg, who scored 22 goals and 69 points last season.
The contract will also likely serve as a benchmark in the future for Edmonton’s other former number one picks, as well as players like Jordan Eberle, who will be a restricted free agent after next season. Eberle led the Oilers in goals (34) and points (76) last season. Hall finished second while Nugent-Hopkins finished third.
