New Jersey Devils: Is This The End For Travis Zajac?

The New Jersey Devils traded Travis Zajac to the New York Islanders as part of the Kyle Palmieri trade. It was the end of an era unlike any other Devils player leaving over the last few years. The Devils traded players like Taylor Hall, Blake Coleman, Brian Boyle, Adam Henrique, Andy Greene, and the aforementioned Palmieri who were all at one-time fan favorites, but Zajac felt more connected to the Devils than any other player.

It took some time, but most people believed that this was best for the player and the team. The Devils got one of the only 1st-round picks that were available on the trade market. They had to trade both Palmieri and Zajac while also covering half of their salaries.

Palmieri struggled last season, but he really took a step forward in the playoffs with the Islanders. After 10 goals in 51 games during the regular season, Palmieri scored 7 goals in 19 playoffs games while helping the Islanders get to the Eastern Conference Finals. He showed that he was well worth the price that Lou Lamoriello paid for him. Zajac, on the other hand, never really had that moment.

He had two points in 13 regular-season games, then he added another two points in 14 playoff games. The Islanders started making him a healthy scratch which couldn’t have built much confidence in the 36 year old.

The Islanders have been very quiet about who they signed this offseason. We all assumed that Zach Parise, Palmieri, Casey Cisikas, and others were already signed. We also assumed that Zajac was among that group. However, once the Islanders started confirming contracts in early September, Zajac’s name never came up. In fact, Islanders writer Andrew Gross thinks a press conference with Parise might have given us a clue.

It’s very possible this is just an overanalysis of the situation, but it’s interesting that the Islanders haven’t announced the addition of Zajac. They did just let Andy Greene show up to training camp last year without ever announcing he was re-signed. Maybe that’s what Lamoriello is doing with Zajac. Maybe he signed him to a PTO, so they didn’t want to make that a formal announcement.

It’s just strange that there has been no talk around Zajac. Is he saying it’s New York or bust? It’s possible he doesn’t want to move his family from the area just to try to make the NHL work for one more year. If the Islanders don’t want Zajac, is it the end of Zajac in the NHL?

It’s interesting to consider the end of Zajac. It’s almost definitely the end of his time with the Devils. Yes, the Devils still have a wide-open spot at third-line center, the spot that Zajac held last season, but his skill set just doesn’t fit on this team. His game is about slowing the pace down and making the smart play. Devils head coach Lindy Ruff wants to speed the game up and put opponents on their heels.

Maybe Zajac would be willing to sign a PTO later this month, or maybe he’s already on Long Island and we don’t know it. However, if this is the end for Zajac, it is a bitter one. Devils fans would have rather let Zajac finish his career in New Jersey instead of how it did end. They wanted to cheer him on in his last game as a Devil rather than doing it in front of a mostly empty arena. Not a lot about this past year and a half have been fair, but for Devils fans, this one especially hurts. Maybe someone will give him a chance, but if this really is the end for Zajac, it’s a strange one for his legacy.