Hall's playmaking abilities on display this season

Since Taylor Hall entered the NHL in 2010, he ranks 33rd in the league in goals, 26th in shots on goal, and 15th in shots per game. Hall's reputation is as a shooter, to enough of an extent that it's the thrust of his biography for EA Sports' NHL 18.

"From his 5-star shooting abilities to his world-class speed, Taylor Hall is one of the best scoring left wingers in hockey," the blurb reads. "His ability to use his powerful yet accurate shot on the rush allows the New Jersey Devils forward to sneak pucks past goaltenders frequently."
Hall has indeed been doing that for New Jersey, with nine goals to tie rookie linemate Jesper Bratt for second on the Devils behind Brian Gibbons, a little more than a third of the way through the season. But there's another element of Hall's game that is coming into focus: his passing.
With 20 assists, Hall leads the Devils and entered Sunday tied for 17th in the NHL. Hall's pace for 57 assists over a full season would represent a career high, and only the second time he's been over 40 helpers in a campaign.
"I think, for whatever reason, when I was getting drafted, scouts tended to think I was more of a goal scorer," Hall said. "My first couple of years, I was, but I do enjoy playmaking, and playing on a line - playing on a successful line, you can't just be on your own page, you have to be able to move the puck and play with guys. I like to think that's something I've gotten better at over the years."
Playing with Bratt and No. 1 draft pick Nico Hischier, Hall has found linemates capable of getting on the same page with him, from a speed perspective. The rookies and the eight-year veteran, flying up and down the ice together, also have found some chemistry with skill sets that complement one another.
"Taylor's been great for us, both me and Nico," Bratt said. "He's a very good player to play with. Great speed, great skills, hard-working guy. … I knew he was a great player, a top player in the whole league. I didn't know he was as hard-working a guy as he is, and his compete level is really nice to see every day. I learn a lot from him. He's a complete player, and he makes me a much better player when I play with him."
The attributes that go unseen on the ice are the ones that have made Hall a leader on the Devils, positioning him well to embrace the challenge of playing on a line with a pair of rookies.
"He cares a lot, and it's nice to see that I think he's got a lot of trust here now," Devils coach John Hynes said. "He's a real big part of our culture and the fabric of our team. … I think that his play this year has improved, and he's made improvements. It's nice to see an elite player like him - he made improvements this year in his offseason training program, and there's certain things you try to work on with him as a player, like how he plays without the puck. He's such a fast, explosive player, this year, at times, it's getting him to understand that when the game slows down a little bit, there's still plays to be made, and I think he's taken it upon himself to improve in those areas."
A fast player working harder in the slow parts of the game, like a scorer upping his assist total, is a sign of dedication to more of the nuance of the game, and that gets to what might be the biggest explanation of what is happening with Hall this season.
His first two years in the league, Hall's coach in Edmonton was Tom Renney. Then it was Ralph Kreuger in the abbreviated 2013 season, then Dallas Eakins for a season and change before Todd Nelson led the Oilers through the end of 2014-15. Todd McLellan took over behind the bench in Edmonton in 2015-16, then Hall was traded to New Jersey. Finally, playing for Hynes, there is stability for Hall to not worry about learning new systems all the time, and build on what he can do with his game.
"I had five coaches before I was 24 in Edmonton," Hall said. "This is one of the only seasons where I've come into the season having the same coach as last year. That familiarity with Hynesie, knowing what to expect from him - we've had lots of chats where I know what he expects from me. As a player, I've always been a lot better when I'm comfortable with my linemates, my surroundings, my coach. This year has felt a lot better that way. It just takes a lot of the noise out of it and lets you play."
As Hall just plays, with linemates who can keep up and a coach who has given him the comfort of stability and known expectations, the rest of the NHL is getting to see that he is what he has always been capable of being, a point-a-game player who is more than just a fast-skating shooter.