New Jersey Devils: 5 Trade Packages For Kyle Palmieri
The New Jersey Devils have been in trade rumors ever since people realized that this team was going nowhere. So could they trade Kyle Palmieri?
The New Jersey Devils just made a pair of significant trades over the weekend. They traded Andy Greene to the New York Islanders for a 2nd-round pick and a prospect. Then, they traded Blake Coleman to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 1st-round pick and top prospect Nolan Foote. As sad as it was to see two fan favorites go, it was a day that could be seen as a win a few years from now.
It is unclear as to whether or not they will make any more moves before Monday’s trade deadline. There are some guys on expiring contracts that come to mind like Sami Vatanen and Wayne Simmonds. Those guys getting moved is a realistic possibility for future assets. They might also trade away another player who would be looked at as more than just a rental.
Kyle Palmieri has been one of the better New Jersey Devils players since he arrived in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks. Now, they might pull the trigger on a trade if a team makes a nice offer to them as the deadline approaches. Kyle Palmieri is a very good goal scorer who could help provide some tremendous depth for a contender looking for that right now.
Palmieri might even get the Devils a pretty nice return. Most people would agree that he is a slightly better player than Blake Coleman, and he netted a significant return from the Tampa Bay Lightning. That could have set the bar high for teams to pay for a guy of Palmieri’s abilities. These five trade packages would make the most sense for the Devils based on that bar that was set:
Trade 1
The New Jersey Devils are probably going to get a pretty nice haul for Kyle Palmieri if they decide to trade him. It is fair to assume that they want a pretty good prospect along with a high-end draft pick. Palmieri still has a year left on his deal which makes him more valuable than a normal playoff rental. Whoever acquires him will have his very strong services for the 2020-21 season.
That is why the New York Islanders would make great sense for Palmieri. They are a team that has already made the trade with New Jersey for Andy Greene. Lou Lamoriello knows this team very well and it would be wise to add a guy like Palmieri. The Islanders are already a very good team that could use a bit more scoring. Palmieri would be a great goal-scoring threat to add to that team as they prepare for the playoffs.
Oliver Wahlstrom and a 2020 2nd-round pick would be perfect for Palmieri. Wahlstrom was taken with the 11th-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. With Wahlstrom, such a highly-touted prospect, getting a second to go with him would be a fair trade between these two. The Islanders already gave the Devils their 2021 second-rounder for Greene so this time it would need to be their 2020 pick.
Palmieri is a New Jersey native so trading him away from Jersey’s team would be less than fun, but the Islanders aren’t that far away. He is also one of those guys who you root for because he’s an awesome guy. Having Greene along with Palmieri on the Island would make them a fun team for Devils fans to follow in the playoffs.
Trade 2
The New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche have been connected in trade rumors ever since Taylor Hall was starting to be shopped around. Hall ended up with the Arizona Coyotes so Colorado missed out on a very good scoring winger to add to their already elite group. Now, they might be smart to try their luck again with Kyle Palmieri.
He would fit in there perfectly on the second line. They are also now missing Mikko Rantanen for a long period of time so adding another winger is pivotal to their chances of winning the Stanley Cup. They are close to already being that good as they stand but adding Palmieri would bring them even close to championship contention. Connor Timmins and a 2020 first-round pick would be an ideal trade for the Devils for Palmieri.
That is a steep asking price, but the Devils are certainly going to be looking for a big return like that for Palmieri. He would be on their team for the rest of this season and all of next season so adding him would be very beneficial.
Timmins was taken by Colorado in the second round of the 2017 NHL draft. He is a defenseman who they could move because they are rich at the position in their system. They already have Samuel Girard and Cale Makar at the NHL level with top prospect Bowen Byram on the way. That first-round pick would likely be in the mid-late 30s.
Trade 3
The Edmonton Oilers could really use another scoring winger. They obviously have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl who form the best 1-2 punch at the center in the entire league. They also have Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who can play center or wing to their disposal. It is a good trio of forwards but adding Palmieri would make it even better.
McDavid is out for a few weeks with an injury but once he comes back, he would be awesome with Palmieri. Kyle succeeds the most when he is shooting at high volume. Guys like McDavid and Drasaitl can find their wingers in spots where they can shoot.
Those variables are why trading Evan Bouchard and a 2020 first-round pick would be worth it for Edmonton. Bouchard is a defenseman that the Oilers took with the 10th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He is clearly highly thought of because he was taken so high. That is why it is fair to assume a second-round pick along with him in a trade for Palmieri.
Bouchard would be added to an already nice group of young players that the Devils are starting to put together. This would also mean that they got Bouchard and Ty Smith out of the 2018 NHL Draft and that could lead a strong group of young defensemen.
Trade 4
The Boston Bruins came within one win of winning the Stanley Cup last spring. They are pretty much the exact same team in 2020 as they try to repeat getting back to the Final but they want to win it this time. Adding Kyle Palmieri would significantly increase their chances of that. They are an impressive team that could stand to just get a little bit better.
They have that top line with Patrice Bergeron centering Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Then the second line has David Krejci with Jake Debrusk on his left. Krejci could really use another great scoring threat on the right and that is where Kyle Palmieri would come in. He would fit in so nicely on that line and then Boston would be able to claim that they have the best top-six in the league.
John Beecher was the Bruins first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft at pick 30. He played with Jack Hughes at the United States National Development Program in 2018-19. He now plays for the University of Michigan. Beecher along with the Bruins 2020 first-round pick would be a great package for Kyle Palmieri. It was fair to assume that they wouldn’t trade their first-rounder in 2019 but they are likely not going to go that route again.
Trade 5
The Florida Panthers would likely consider it a disaster if they didn’t make it to the playoffs in 2019-20. They signed Sergei Bobrovsky and Joel Quenneville to their mix of already talented players so it was seen as a team that could compete. Now, they sit a few points out of the final Wild Card spot so they should be looking to improve.
Kyle Palmieri would be a significant addition to their group. They have a really good group of forwards so adding Palmieri would only make them better. They haven’t gotten the goaltending that Bobrovsky should be provided which has been part of the reason they aren’t where we thought they’d be, but adding Palmieri could be the spark that they need.
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Aleksi Heponiemi was taken by Florida in the 2020 NHL Draft in the second round at the 40th overall spot. He would be a great addition to the Devils group of young prospects along with their first-round pick. Giving up a first-round pick this year might sound like a steep price for Florida but it appears that making the playoffs is extremely important to them this year. They might be willing to pay a price like that in order to get there.