Taylor Hall has made history by becoming the first player in Devils franchise history to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player for the 2017-18 season, the league announced Wednesday at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas. Hall led the Devils in scoring (39 goals), assists (52) and points (93), played in all situations and was considered the driving force behind the team's surprising playoff push.
The award is voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. Hall received more votes than Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.
Picked to finish last in the Metropolitan Division, the Devils held a playoff spot from the first month of the season and Hall ensured their continuous contention by with dominance on the ice. The top-line winger made plays, threw down hits and used his speed to score in transition. Hall and rookie center Nico Hischier proved to be a strong duo, scoring the bulk of the Devils' goals and setting up plays for one another.
Scoring aside, Hall was credited with making his teammates better on and off the ice. Hischier and their other rookie linemate, Jesper Bratt, credited Hall as a role model that helped them navigate their first professional seasons. Hall was often seen talking to teammates on the bench during tense situations. The six-year NHL veteran played wise beyond his 26 years of age.
And he did more with less. The point differential was stark and secondary scoring was a clear weakness for the Devils last season. Hall had 41 more points than Hischier, the Devils' second-leading scorer, and 15 more goals than Kyle Palmieri, the second-leading goal scorer. He was the difference-maker in close games when the rest of the team struggled to find the back of the net.
He amassed a 26-game point streak last season and had 20 points in the month of March when the Devils played their most difficult schedule and had to stave off other teams in order to secure their first Stanley Cup Playoff berth in five years.
