In an unexpected decision, the Chicago Blackhawks have decided to make Taylor Hall a healthy scratch for their upcoming game against the Vancouver Canucks. According to Mark Lazerus from The Athletic, head coach Luke Richardson’s choice stems from Hall’s continuing difficulties and an ongoing goal drought, as he has not scored in his last 10 games. Richardson acknowledged that Hall is not pleased with this decision.
Hall’s playing time has noticeably decreased, with just 13:23 logged during his last match against the Seattle Kraken. Nevertheless, he remains a significant part of Chicago’s top-six forwards. The coach believes Hall requires more time to regain his form, which will not come from game play. With only two goals and six points over 17 games, Hall is still recovering from major knee surgery that kept him sidelined for nearly the entire previous season. Richardson noted that Hall needs additional practice to rediscover his previous abilities, particularly his speed and puck-handling skills, which seem diminished. Hall participated in extra drills following Chicago’s morning skate on Saturday, with plans for more sessions before the coach considers reinstating him.
The Blackhawks aim for Hall to receive more practice time. Richardson explained, “Unfortunately, the schedule hasn’t allowed a lot of practice time for him, so that’s the plan. We just want to get him a little bit more work. It’s hard to do that in games without getting too frustrated, so that’s our approach.” Although Hall has no choice in the matter, he is not happy about being sidelined, as Richardson conveyed to the media.
While there have been no reports indicating that Hall is unhappy enough to request a trade, it raises concerns about how long the impending unrestricted free agent will accept being benched if it seems the Blackhawks have largely disregarded him.
Richardson suggested that Hall’s absence might last more than one game, indicating it aligns with a longer-term approach to help him regain his form. “I know the player disagrees, but sometimes that happens,” he said.
