Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 NHL season due to a right knee injury which will require surgery.
The former Hart Trophy winner was injured by a hit from Michael Eyssimont on Nov 9th, but briefly returned to the lineup for contests against the Sabres and Predators. However the injury continued to nag away at Hall, forcing him to miss his team’s 7-3 loss to Columbus on Wednesday.
“A guy just pulled him down. Just a nothing play and just the way he fell on it, it was one of the last straws,” head coach Luke Richardson said. “Then he tried to get through it and in practice he caught a rut and that finalized it.”
After seeking out additional medical opinions, the club placed Hall on injured reserve Thursday and will undergo a procedure in the near future.
“He’s very disappointed,” Richardson continued. “(It) just came from an accumulation of a bunch of little injuries and the game and even in practice the other day, and it just became unstable that they have to fix that now.”
Chicago acquired the former 1st overall draft pick from Boston in the offseason, largely to help insulate Connor Bedard and ease his transition in the NHL ranks. Bedard called the news “heartbreaking” when the club formally announced it.
“Someone that loves to play so much and every game is so impactful,” Bedard said. “Such a good hockey player, but such a good person and means so much to our group.”
“Obviously, we’re rooting for him and wishing him the best. We know he’s still going to be around and of course a big part of the team. It’s sad but he’s going to do everything he can to get back.”
Hall’s current contract runs through the 2024-25 season and comes in at an AAV of $6M per season.
Across 10 contests in 2023-24, the 6’1” winger accumulated 4pts (2G, 2A), with 4PIMs and a -3 rating. The Blackhawks currently sport the 2nd worst record in the NHL with a 5-12 mark through their first 17 contests.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Lisa Gansky. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.