Bruins Unable to Activate Taylor Hall Due to Salary Cap Woes
The Bruins are currently mired by salary cap constraints, so much so that they are currently unable to activate former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall from his stint on long-term injured reserve.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Hall has indicated that he feels ready to return from LTIR list, but Boston doesn't have the cap space to facilitate such a roster move.
“Sources say that he [Hall] feels that he is ready. The problem is the Bruins don’t have the cap space to activate Taylor Hall,” Dreger said Tuesday during an episode of TSN’s Insider Trading.
Hall was placed on LTIR in early March with a lower-body injury. The move simultaneously helped the Bruins absorb the salary of Tyler Bertuzzi, whom they acquired in a swap with the Red Wings at the NHL trade deadline. The franchise saved as much as $6 million by placing Hall on LTIR.
According to CapFriendly, Boston currently has just $39,062 in available cap space, well short of the figure they’d need to bring Hall back.
However, NHL rules would enable the Bruins to bring Hall back for the postseason without going over the salary cap, a loophole that was potentially part of Boston’s plan all along.
Hall last featured for the Bruins on Feb. 25 against the Canucks. In 2022-23, the former MVP has registered 36 points in 58 games.
The Bruins already are a lock for the playoffs, and with just nine games left in the regular season, it’s possible fans won’t see the 31-year-old until the Stanley Cup playoffs get underway in April.
Hall won the Hart Trophy in 2017-18 after recording 39 goals and 54 assists with the Devils.