Kyle Palmieri
Chance He Gets Traded: 55%
Kyle Palmieri is the Devils’ most coveted asset right now. He’s in the most mock trades on blogs and websites across the hockey sphere. He’s been tied to the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins most notably. Both teams are dealing with major injuries. The easy decision is to say that Palmieri can fill a need lost by Anders Lee or Brad Marchand.
However, the Devils are also in deep talks with Palmieri on an extension. The rumors say things haven’t gone exactly to plan between the two, but that can change on a dime. We saw it happen with Chris Kreider last season, but the Devils probably aren’t coming out with a contract offer north of $45 million.
It’s clear that it’s more likely than not that Palmieri gets traded at the deadline. The reason the percentage is so low is the trade offers haven’t been great so far. The Devils would have jumped at someone offering more than a 1st-round pick. The offers probably look something like a 2nd-round pick and likely a low-level prospect with some upside. If the offers aren’t going to get better, then the Devils will likely be willing to move on a contract offer. They can also wait longer since rumors, as reported by The Athletic, say Palmieri’s modified no-trade clause includes “every Canadian team”. That shouldn’t be too problematic since there are plenty of American teams that would love Palmieri on their roster.
It’s likely Palmieri’s time is limited in New Jersey. He’s been a great representative of the franchise, but they have to think about the assets coming the other way.