The New Jersey Devils moved Ondrej Palat to the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. He was held out of the lineup at the last minute, forcing Luke Glendening into the game against the Winnipeg Jets. Meanwhile, Palat is joining the playoff race, and the Islanders have a premium opportunity with two matchups against the Rangers to unfurl their new weapon.
See, Palat was insanely frustrating with the New Jersey Devils. He was inconsistent on a nightly basis, and he never looked the same after a groin injury ruined his first year with his second franchise. Palat only had 92 points in 248 games in New Jersey, including 10 points in 51 games this year. Even Palat admitted he was “bad” this year.
However, he’s getting the fresh start he’s needed for a while. With the Islanders, he can showcase why he’s still a quality veteran with something to give the right team. Things in New Jersey just turned into Groundhog Day, and he was never getting out of his rough stretch the way things were going.
Palat was good against one opponent while with the Devils. Palat got up for the Hudson River Rivalry.
The Devils haven’t faced off against the Rangers yet this season, but he had three points against the Rangers in four games last season. He had two goals in four games the year before, one of only two teams he had multiple goals against in 23-24.
Of course, Palat was phenomenal against the Rangers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He had five points in seven games. He was great in Game 7, the only series win the Devils have in their past 14 seasons.
On Wednesday night, Palat would make his Islanders debut in an equally hated rivalry. Rangers-Islanders has the history that Devils-Rangers doesn’t have, and there’s just as much current hate. Palat knew the assignment.
PALAT IN HIS ISLES DEBUT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/RvKPIqRMJ9
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 29, 2026
If you asked any Devils fan if Palat was going to score in his debut, almost 100 percent would say yes. We all knew that Palat was going to score, and we knew it would be a big goal.
Palat really did need a change of scenery, and the Devils needed him off the roster. It was clearly going to end in divorce. We won’t have hard feelings. Palat was a pro’s pro. We wish him well. We just wish he didn’t have to knock the Devils out in order to make it happen.