New Jersey Devils: Is It Time To Trade Kyle Palmieri?

Is it time for the New Jersey Devils to trade away Kyle Palmieri?

The New Jersey Devils only have Kyle Palmieri locked up for the 2020-21 season. We don’t know when, how, or where it is going to be played but we can figure that it will be played at some point. The question just has to be whether or not Kyle Palmieri plays it with his hometown Devils or if he starts the season with them will he finish it? There are certainly pros and cons to both sides of the coin in this debate.

Re-sign:

The key pro to keeping Kyle Palmieri on your team is obvious. He is a fantastic player that has good years to offer. He will give you anywhere from 25 to 35 goals per season which is a great total to have in your top-six from a veteran. He can contribute offense at even strength and on the power play which makes him a valuable asset if you are trying to be a winning hockey team.

Another key to Palmieri’s game is his leadership. He is certain to have an “A” on his sweater and you can even make the case that he is the next captain of the Devils. They should probably go with Nico Hischier simply because of the age/term, but Palmieri is still a solid backup plan. The players around him will be better off if he is there supporting them both on and off the ice.

Trade:

The biggest con has to be his contract situation. If he is not traded and reaches free agency, a team might be willing to overpay him for his services. There are plenty of contending teams that could feel they are a scoring winger away from winning the Stanley Cup, so they might be willing to give up a lot to make a deal happen. If the Devils decide they want to keep him but can’t come to an agreement by the trade deadline, they need to trade him so they get something for him.

Palmieri is a better player than Blake Coleman and he landed the Devils a 1st-round pick and Nolan Foote. If Palmieri can land New Jersey a 1st-round pick and a top prospect, that would be a trade they should absolutely do no matter what.

This team is building for the future and Palmieri probably isn’t in the long-term plans. That is okay, too. He was a great Devil for a long time but when it is time to move on, it is time to move on. He is going to be 30 on his next birthday so too long of an extension could end up hurting the Devils in terms of what they are trying to do. That has to be another pro to trading him for future assets.

Conclusion:

Palmieri is a great player that contenders will covet. He can score with the best of them and help you defensively if needed. He can be an all-situations player as well which is something that makes him extra valuable.

This is one of the rare debates that could end up working out either way. If they keep him, he very well could continue to be productive on a team that has a chance to win the Cup down the line. He could also end up declining soon which would mean they should trade him right now.

If they did decide to trade him there is no doubt that they would get some nice value in return but it is up to them to determine if that is the direction that they want to go in. It is a tough decision and one that will shape the immediate (and potentially long term) future of this team.