I'm not sure I follow. Are you suggesting trading DeBrusk+ for Hall? Or trade for Hall and then use DeBrusk+ for something else?Friedman mentions the Bruins on Hall...
If they trade Debrusk, can’t they protect 4D in the expansion draft? Could be worth it for the right player, someone like Hall could be an addition for this year and next with the expansion draft allowing him to come back afterward.
Debrusk and a second tier asset?
DeBrusk+ is an overpay for Hall. In a vacuum Hall is better than DeBrusk but he's a UFA, makes $8 million and is having a down year. From the reports out there, it seems unlikely that the Sabres even get a 1st for him. Not many teams even have the cap space to fit him in even with the Sabres retaining.
The latter scenario (trade for Hall; wheel DeBrusk elsewhere) is plausible. Ideally you'd send DeBrusk out for a similarly aged LHD. There are a few problems with this. First is DeBrusk himself is having a down year. I think teams would jump on him but would also want to rob the Bruins for him. Secondly, the expansion draft. If you're trading DeBrusk for a D (my spitball is Vince Dunn from STL) then you would want to protect the D coming back. Which puts you in the position of needing to protect 4 D (McAvoy, Grzelyck, Carlo, player X). That means you can only protect 4 F which would be Pastrnak, Bergeron, Marchand and Coyle. That leaves Hall exposed in this scenario. I guess they could wink wink, nudge nudge agree to an extension with Hall and not file it until after the expansion draft but that seems ripe for blowing up in their face. Some other team could get into his ear and then he's gone and you're back to searching around for F help.