Four potential suitors for Kyle Palmieri
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Kyle Palmieri has almost certainly played his last game as a member of the New Jersey Devils.
That was all but confirmed when Palmieri sat out of Sunday’s game for precautionary reasons, which his agency quickly confirmed was due to the looming trade deadline.
Rumor has it the two sides took another swing at an extension as recently as a few days ago but, clearly, nothing came to fruition.
So, it would seem, the two sides will move on from one another in the very near future.
Where might palmieri end up? There are are a few destinations that stand out.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins have been linked to Palmieri for what feels like forever. They’ve long targeted a natural goal scorer to fill the RW2 slot and, for one reason or another, they just haven’t competently filled that spot.
They really lack some pop beyond the top unit, which is why David Pastrnak has found himself skating on David Krejci’s line more frequently than the Bruins would probably like. There’s just not enough scoring from that group.
Despite all the off-season losses on defense, the Bruins rank 5th in xGA/60 this season. They’re not giving up many chances. Unfortunately for them, they’re not generating many either. They rank 29th(!) – ahead of only Detroit and Columbus – in xGF/60 at 5v5.
Palmieri’s not a massive chance driver at even-strength, however, his style won’t take away anything from Boston in the defensive end; and he’s capable of finishing some of the chances Krejci would be able to create for him.
His shot would also likely be the focal point of PP2, which could use a spark.
While I don't think much of Boston’s pipeline, they have all of their draft picks and, perhaps more notably, Jake DeBrusk could be on the outs.
New York Islanders
Beard aside, Kyle Palmieri is maybe the most Lou Lamoriello player in the league who hasn’t actually played for Lou Lamoriello.
The latter absolutely loves players like Palmieri. He’s a loyal, hard-working player who leads by example. He scores goals. He plays defense. He’s physical. He’ll sacrifice his body to make plays. And he’s as low maintenance as it gets. He just shows up for work and does his job. Simple as that.
New York could use more scoring prowess to begin with. Now that Anders Lee is out for the season, the Isles could really use another top-6 finisher. Palmieri is that and his style meshes well with the way the Islanders play under Barry Trotz. They’re not built on speed and trading chances on the rush. They go to work in the offensive zone and wear teams out down low.
Lamoriello showed but a year ago that he’s not afraid to invest heavily into a pending UFA at the deadline. He traded a lot to get J.G. Pageau, and he happily handed out a lucrative contract to keep him around.
Part two would certainly take some juggling but, point behind, Lamoriello isn’t afraid to be bold to get his guy. He’ll figure the rest out later.
With regards to what NYI might have to give up…probably more than you’d think.
They have at least one pick in every round this year and next. There are some young pieces getting their feet wet in the NHL like Kieffer Bellows. New York also has a pair of recent 2nd round picks in Samuel Bolduc and Bode Wilde, who an NHL front office member recently brought up to me, holding down regular spots on defense in Bridgeport.
There’s enough there to make an enticing package. It’s just a matter of how much Lamoriello is willing to give.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Before I get into why the Leafs might make sense as a fit, what they have to offer, etc., there is some housekeeping to be done here.
Multiple NHL media members have hinted/suggested Palmieri’s 8-team no-trade clause has very strong Canadian flavor to it. It’s possible, if not likely, all seven teams are on it.
I can’t confirm that. What I can say is that Palmieri has not been asked to waive his NTC to this point. Would he? The door might not be closed. I’m told Palmieri “will cross that bridge when (we) get to it, if needed.”
That’s not a hard no, so I’ll operate under the assumption Palmieri is at least somewhat open to waiving for a contender like Toronto.
If that’s the case, I could see the Maple Leafs making a strong push. There is a natural fit alongside William Nylander and John Tavares on the 2nd line. Palmieri could finish some plays off, help out defensively, and provide some more bite.
His shot would no doubt look good as a feature of PP2 as well, especially with guys like Joe Thornton and Nylander dishing him the puck.
There’s a natural fit in Toronto, and it’s no secret the Leafs want to add another forward who can play that playoff-style of game.
I don’t think there’s much appetite to trade a prospect like Nick Robertson, Rasmus Sandin, or Timothy Liljegren (I’m not super high on him, anyway) for a rental and that’s fine. Toronto still has the assets to do a deal. They have all their 1sts and 2nds in years to come.
They also have a bunch of intriguing Tier 2 prospects, if you will. Filip Hallander, acquired in the Kasper Kapanen deal, had a pretty nice season in the SHL. Roni Hirvonen, a 2nd rounder last year, just finished 4th on his SM-liiga team in assists as a 19-year-old. Topi Niemela, a 3rd rounder last year, already has two SM-liiga seasons to his name and was a standout for Finland at the World Juniors. You get the point.
Even if Toronto is fairly picky about who they’re willing to give up, the Devils still might be able to land a very intriguing prospect and a pick or two.
I actually think the Leafs are probably best equipped to do a Palmieri deal. At least based on my evaluations of the perspective prospect pools the Devils will be sorting through.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are my wild card. They haven’t really been publicly linked to Palmieri but I believe they’ve sniffed around in the past.
Finishing ability is no doubt the biggest reason why.
Carolina always, always, always, generates chances in bulk. This season is no different. They’re 2nd in xGF/60 and 4th in high-danger chances/60. What about goals, you might ask? 16th.
They have no problem creating quality looks. But actually converting on them is a different story.
I know Palmieri hasn’t exactly been Ovechkin-like this season but he has a long history of scoring goals at a high clip. He’s a very hard worker, which I think would appeal to Rod Brind A’Mour, and he’d give the ‘Canes a more threatening look.
Last night they trotted out the following top-9:
Svechnikov - Aho - Fast
Martinook - Trocheck - Necas
Niederreiter - Staal - Foegele
Call me crazy, but I think there’s room for Palmieri in there. They could really stack the 1st line or ice a 3rd line with a pair of regular 20+ goal scorers. That’d be tough to match up against.
The Hurricanes don’t generally like to pay for deadline rentals but, given how good they are, it might be worth making an exception. They’ve drafted very well of late and a 2021 5th is all they’re missing from their pick cupboard over the next three years. They’re positioned well to take a bit of a hit.
numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com, HockeyDB.com, PuckPedia.com, and CapFriendly.com
Todd, I'd be interested in your thoughts on the Devils drafting Luke Hughes. It seems like we might be right around that spot in the draft.
Let's not get too excited about DeBrusk, and his "down year.". Remember the Andreas Johnsson deal? He had a down year for the Leafs, and everyone thought he'd be a great fit for us. Now everyone's hoping Seattle takes him.