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.

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.

After seeing his role with the Chicago Blackhawks diminish in recent weeks, Hall welcomed the trade that sent him to the Carolina Hurricanes in a three-team blockbuster deal involving the Colorado Avalanche. Hall discussed the move from Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday, as reported by Mark Lazerus of The Athletic.