One of the most head-scratching, under-the-radar stories this season in the NHL was the cumbersome injury that forced reigning MVP Taylor Hall to play in only 33 games.
Hall's final game of the season was on December 23rd against Columbus. Hoping to use the Christmas break to rest and recover, Hall was unable to suit up again.
Expected to only miss a small number of games, doctors were puzzled as to why the 27-year-old couldn't recover, but yet, remained optimistic for a return. Three MRIs later, and undergoing rehab, the pain never subsided, but didn't seem to get any worse. Multiple specialists couldn't figure out was wrong, forcing him to undergo arthroscopic surgery at the end of February.
Eventually, loose fragments were located inside of his knee, something Hall couldn't fathom as to why they weren't found by the MRIs.
“You have to treat the patient always and throughout the process we always felt surgery would be the last option,” Hall said via the Associated Press. “You always want to exhaust every nonsurgical option and that’s what we did. The unfortunate part is it took a long time and it cost me my season. But I would do it again just to try to avoid surgery.
"Maybe in 50 years they’ll have something that could go into your knee without being evasive and see exactly what is going on.”
Heading into the final year of the seven-year, $ 42 million contract he signed when he was still property of the Edmonton Oilers in August of 2012, Hall stated that he's felt incredible support while being a Devil, but doesn't want to commit to anything in the near future and wants to be a part of a "perennial contender" at the current stage of his career, something that doesn't necessarily align with where the Devils are at.
