Hall broke down the timeline of the blockbuster trade from his perspective Thursday. He claimed he's "definitely a better player than the amount I was playing" during his final weeks in Chicago.

RALEIGH, N.C. — In the weeks leading up to his trade to Carolina, Taylor Hall repeatedly said he wanted to stay in Chicago, that he wanted to be a part of what the Blackhawks were building, that he wanted to settle down in one city in the twilight of his peripatetic career.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard didn’t hold back his disappointment after learning Taylor Hall had been traded on Friday. The Hawks sent Hall to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a blockbuster three-team deal in which they only landed a third-round pick in return for Hall. Chicago also retained 50% of Rantanen's salary in the deal.