Could Hallucigenia be the echinoderm missing link?

Yes, and the decision was quite recent and based upon information that does not apply only to the arthropod branch.

As mentioned, it very well could be a lobopod, but there’s nothing useful I can find one way or another that discounts an echinoderm angle, and there DOES at least seem to be a little support.

We don’t have much to go on with the little bugger to make a FIRM classification, but why discount an unexplored or only partially explored option?