New Jersey Devils: 5 Kyle Palmieri Trades We’d Love To See

This one could take some convincing, but the Penguins have a brand new staff in Ron Hextall and Brian Burke who are looking to make a splash while Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still holding on to their primes. The Penguins have won one playoff round since winning the Stanley Cup in 2017, and they didn’t even make it past the qualifying round in the bubble last year. The Pens are on the cusp of desperation with this team.

The Devils are looking for the bigger picture here. They want to coup draft picks in a Palmieri deal, but Pittsburgh only has a 2nd, 5th, and three 7th-round picks this season. Next season, they have all of their picks, but the Devils are circling 2023 when the NHL Draft looks like it could be awesome. Connor Bedard is looking like the next superstar, and the Devils will want an extra shot at him. The Penguins are more concerned about the present, and they probably think they’ll still be contenders three years down the line. They could keep next year’s 1st-round pick to either use at the deadline or add to the prospect pool.

It’s not a deal most Devils fans would love since it takes a valuable asset they have now and moves it to a lottery ticket two years from now, but this would be a great trade. Brayden Yager and Riley Heidt are also looking really good in the WHL debuts. Matvei Michkov might be one of the most elusive prospects in recent memory as he tears up the ice in Russia. The Devils need to get another 1st rounder in this draft, especially since the hope is they aren’t picking at the top of the draft anymore.