The trade that sent Taylor Hall from the Edmonton Oilers to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Adam Larsson continues to be a topic of debate in 2025. Nine years after the initial transaction on June 29, 2016, perspectives on the trade have shifted multiple times, and there is no clear consensus as to which team ultimately benefited the most.
In 2016, the Oilers were looking to bolster their defense, which was considered a major weakness. The team had drafted a number of high-end forwards, including Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Connor McDavid, but lacked a true number one defenseman. Peter Chiarelli, then the Oilers' general manager, believed that acquiring a top-pairing defenseman would be essential to the team's success. While Hall was a proven scorer, the Oilers felt they could afford to trade him to address their defensive needs. At the time of the trade, Hall was a 24-year-old left winger who had led the Oilers in goals, assists, and points in the 2015-16 season. He had also been selected to the All-Star Game. Larsson, a year younger than Hall, was a defenseman who had played over 22 minutes per game for the Devils and led the team in plus-minus.
The trade was met with criticism from many who believed that the Oilers had given up too much talent for too little return. Hall was considered to be a star forward with considerable offensive upside, while Larsson was viewed as a solid but unspectacular defenseman.
Hall went on to have a successful career after being traded to New Jersey. In the 2017-18 season, he had a career year, scoring 39 goals and 93 points in 76 games. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, leading the Devils to their first playoff appearance since 2012. However, Hall's success in New Jersey was relatively short-lived. He was traded to the Arizona Coyotes in December 2019. Since then, Hall has played for the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks before being traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in January 2025. Hall signed a three-year, $9.5 million contract extension with the Hurricanes in April 2025. As of the 2025-26 season, Hall's cap hit is $3,166,667 and his cash earnings are $3,500,000. His career earnings through 2025 amount to $76.7 million.
Larsson played 329 regular-season games for the Oilers, recording 16 goals and 52 assists with a plus/minus of five. While he was a reliable shutdown defenseman and veteran leader, he did not reach the offensive potential that some had hoped for. In July 2021, Larsson signed with the Seattle Kraken. In 2024-25, Larsson played in all 82 games for the Kraken, recording 7 goals and 21 assists. He was plus-22 for the season, with an average ice time of 21:11. Larsson is currently signed with Seattle through the 2028-29 season with an annual cap hit of $5.25 million.
In hindsight, it is still difficult to definitively declare a winner in the Hall-Larsson trade. Hall had a brief period of individual success in New Jersey, but his career has since been marked by inconsistency and frequent changes of scenery. Larsson has been a steady and reliable defenseman, but he has not developed into the top-pairing star that the Oilers were hoping for.
Ultimately, the success of the trade depends on what each team was looking to accomplish. The Devils acquired a star forward who helped them return to the playoffs. The Oilers acquired a defenseman who provided stability and leadership on the blue line. Whether either team truly "won" the trade is a matter of perspective and continues to be debated.
