from Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News,

Before Taylor Hall officially became an unrestricted free agent, the former Hart Trophy winner told his agent, Darren Ferris, that Buffalo would be among his preferred destinations if the Sabres expressed interest.

When the clock struck noon Friday, Hall’s former coach in Edmonton, Ralph Krueger, was among the first people to reach out to the top available player on the market. Krueger and Sabres brass then presented a sales pitch to Hall that centered around the talent on the roster, including Jack Eichel, and the opportunity to play in front of a fan base starving for success after a ninth consecutive season without the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Other teams courted Hall over the weekend, including a few that presented the 28-year-old left wing with financial security in the form of a multiyear contract. However, when Hall decided that he preferred to sign for only one season, he moved Buffalo near the top of his list.

“I think when you break it down and you have an open mind about things and you’re able to maybe look past the smoke that has surrounded the Sabres the past couple years, I think you see a team that has elite players, ownership that’s really committed to building a winner – I’ve seen what they’ve done with the Bills – and a coach that I feel can get a lot out of his players,” Hall said during a call with reporters Monday. “On a one-year contract, I think both sides are eager to see how this works out and there’s obviously a lot of possibilities for the future.”

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