Top Left Header
Header Header
Title - Rob Soria
Follow OurHometown.ca on... Follow OurHometown on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Follow us on RSS
Oilers: Hall continues to impress but few seem to care
By Rob Soria
HometownHockey.ca

Oilers: Hall continues to impress but few seem to care
Following what was yet another solid performance on Monday evening against Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning, one has to wonder what Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall has to do in order to have the masses out east start giving him credit for being among the very best players in the game. God knows if he was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, that recognition would have come a long time ago.
PHOTO CREDIT - GettyImages.ca

Edmonton - October 21, 2014 - While it is hard to blame fans or media who do not watch the Edmonton Oilers on a regular basis for lumping all of the organizations continual failures into one rather large basket, the inclusion of Taylor Hall in any such discussion is downright perplexing.

By no means is he a perfect player but unlike rest of his teammates, the former 2010 first overall pick has found a way to not only continual improve from season to season but also morph into one of the very best players in the game. Unfortunately for him, playing in Edmonton on a team that regularly finds itself in the bottom of the National Hockey League standings has inexplicably led to his name being absent from the conversation when it comes to the top players in the league.

Even with the Oilers limping out of the gate to start the 2014-15 campaign, Hall has maintained the point a game pace he has produced in each of the last two seasons with a four goals and a pair of assists in six games. He has without question been the Oilers best forward in each and every one those outings, this despite being physically punished on a nightly basis by the opposition.

While linemates Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins delivered what was easily their finest performance of the young season during last night’s 3-2 win over Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning, it was the guy wearing the No. 4 on his back that was once again driving the play, while being the best player on the ice for either side. And yet when it comes to the mass media out east, we are now entering the third year of rarely if ever hearing his name mentioned in the conversation with the best of the best.

Now many will point to the Oilers lack of success as the reason why he is rarely mentioned but who is kidding who. If he played in the Eastern Conference or better yet, wore the Blue and White of the Toronto Maple Leafs, does anyone honestly believe for minute he would not be looked to as a budding superstar? Over the previous two seasons, the only players who have amassed more than the 130 points Hall has collected are Sidney Crosby (160), Ryan Getzlaf (136), Alex Ovechkin (135), Claude Giroux (134) and Phil Kessel (132).

Not too shabby and even more impressive when one takes into consideration only Crosby (1.38) and Getzlaf (1.12)have averaged more points per game than Hall’s total of 1.08. Now injuries to the likes of Stamkos and John Tavares have played a role in those two also not being on that list but that doesn’t change the fact that at the age of twenty-two, the Oilers best player has already cemented himself a spot alongside such an impressive group.

Anyone that watches Edmonton play on even a semi-regular basis knows exactly just how good this kid is and how engaged he is on nightly basis. While this season may only be only a couple of weeks old, it looks as though Hall has taken his game to that next level and is no longer allowing outside issues distract him. There is no bitching at the referees when he doesn’t get a call on the ice and his body language has been extremely positive, despite all the losing.

As previously mentioned, teams have clearly targeted him as the player in the Oilers lineup they would like to physically work over but so far, he hasn’t been slowed down one bit by the extra attention. If anything, it has almost had the opposite effect and made him even more focused and determined for the remainder of the game. People tend to forget just how young he is and the fact he has absolutely zero veteran support around him to help carry the load and yet there he sits among the top scorers in all of hockey.

With their roster currently constructed in the manner which it is, trying to predict just how many games the Edmonton Oilers could win in 2014-15 is almost next to impossible, however expecting Taylor Hall to finish the year with somewhere in neighbourhood of forty goals and ninety points isn’t much of a reach. He may not be a “generational talent” but he is certainly one of the premier players in the NHL and he has only started to scratch the surface.

Kudos should be given to likes of Elliotte Friedman, who has gone out of his way in praising the young Oilers star for his play this season but unfortunately the Rogers/Sportsnet Insider has been one of the very few paying attention. Now if only the masses out east would do themselves a favour and follow Mr. Friedman’s lead, maybe this kid will finally start getting the recognition he deserves.

Follow Me on TwitterRob Soria is the Edmonton Oilers' correspondent for OurHometown.ca. Rob was born and raised in Edmonton and is the author of the Edmonton Oilers blog - OilDrop.ca. He has been a dedicated follower of the game and its history for years but his focus remains on his hometown Edmonton Oilers. If you have questions or wish to contact Rob, you can email him at rsoria@ourhometown.ca


Title

Title
Oilers Drop Heartbreaker On Controversial Call
PHOTO CREDIT:
GettyImages.ca
Oilers: A Dose Of Reality
PHOTO CREDIT:
GettyImages.ca
Oilers: Talbot Stands Tall In Win Over Red Wings
PHOTO CREDIT:
GettyImages.ca
McDavid, Oilers Prove Too Much For Hapless Flames
PHOTO CREDIT:
GettyImages.ca

Title



Title - Story Count
3,472 Stories & Growing Daily...

To date HometownHockey.ca has posted a total of 3,472 hockey stories!

Be sure to check out our Columnists archives or, why not Contribute a Story yourself!

HometownHockey.ca offers a very generous revenue sharing opportunity for our Columnists. If you are interested in learning more details about writing for us, please send us an EMAIL.
PucksTrending Story
SHORT SHIFT - Nifty Fifty for Maggio



Follow OurHometown.ca on... Follow OurHometown on Facebook Follow HometownHockey on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Follow us on RSS

The Greatest Edmonton Oilers of All Time
Twitter Header


Twitter Header


Footer