Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno Traded to Blackhawks from Bruins Ahead of 2023 Draft

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The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno from the Boston Bruins on Monday.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman initially reported the teams were “discussing possibilities that could benefit the Blackhawks and ease the Bruins’ cap situation.”

Hall had 16 goals and 20 assists in 61 games this past season. He carries a $6 million salary cap hit over each of the next two years.

The Blackhawks are projected to have $37.6 million in cap space, per CapFriendly, so they have ample room to accommodate Hall’s contract.

The 31-year-old’s arrival should be beneficial toward the development of presumptive No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard. The veteran forward can ease some of the pressure on the young rookie and help set him up in front of the net.

Considering Nick Foligno will turn 36 in October and totaled 39 points over the past two years, you wouldn’t expect a rebuilding team in Chicago’s position to make signing the unrestricted free agent a priority.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported the Blackhawks are nonetheless “hopeful” of keeping Foligno, who, like Hall, might be viewed as a mentor of sorts for Bedard.

For the Bruins, there was a pressing need to ease their cap burden with Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov, David Krejčí and Patrice Bergeron all due to hit free agency.

TSN’s Chris Johnston speculated Boston might turn around and ink Bertuzzi to a new contract before he even has the opportunity to speak with other teams.

The 28-year-old had 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists) across 50 games in 2022-23 and will be one of the best forwards available. Re-signing him is the top priority on general manager Don Sweeney’s offseason checklist.

For Bruins, trading Hall away is a necessary sacrifice.

Opinions on Monday’s trade might change if Bertuzzi winds up signing with a different team anyway.