There is risk here. Chaka said the goal of the trade was to acquire an elite player for the long term, and Hall's contract expires July 1, 2020.
But the Coyotes traded nothing off their NHL roster for Hall and forward Blake Speers, giving the Devils forwards Nicholas Merkley and Nate Schnarr, defenseman Kevin Bahl, a conditional first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, and a conditional third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
By making this trade now instead of later in the season, they will give Hall more time to adjust and make an impact this season, and to learn about the Coyotes and decide whether he wants to stay. Hall said he had an open mind.
"He wants to win; we want to win," Chayka said. "We want to showcase what we're about and what we have. … It's a bet on ourselves, but it's a calculated gamble."
The Coyotes finished four points out of the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference last season despite finishing tied for 28th in the NHL in scoring (2.55 goals per game).
They're tied for ninth in the NHL in point percentage (.600) entering their game at the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, FS-A PLUS, NHL.TV) even though they're tied for 24th in scoring (2.69 goals per game).
Kessel, acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 29, hasn't been at his best, with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 35 games. But this is a six-time 30-goal scorer who has won the Cup twice, with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.