It’s time to look at where it all went wrong. The New Jersey Devils attached two draft picks and took on the contract of Maxim Tsyplakov for Ondrej Palat. The New York Islanders took on all of Palat’s $6 million salary. That was what was important for Devils fans. They wanted to be out from under the Palat contract.
And it’s a sad end to what was a bright start. Palat was always going to be a contract that aged poorly, but most hoped the Devils would get something from the start of the deal. Unfortunately, they didn’t get what they were hoping for.
There’s plenty to blame. Palat was coming off three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances. That’s basically 60+ games that other players didn’t have to play. That takes a toll on an athlete’s body. Oftentimes, it leads to an injury.
Palat suffered that injury, and it clearly had an impact on his performance. He tore his groin in his first month with the Devils, and he never looked the same.
Ondrej Palat's groin injury threw off his New Jersey Devils career and it never came back
Before the injury, Palat looked like a perfect fit for the lineup. In his fourth game with his new team, he scored two goals against the New York Islanders, ironically, the team he’s playing for now. He had three goals in his first six games of the season. Palat was out until January after the injury.
It took Palat nine games to score a goal upon his return, and he finished with just eight goals on the season. That's not what the Devils expected to get from him. He was much better in the playoffs and helped the Devils beat the New York Rangers in the first round, the only good thing that's happened to this franchise since drafting Jack Hughes.
He still had that leadership, and it was clear he had a really high hockey IQ, but there was a physical element that was no longer there after the injury.
And it never really came back. Since Palat became an NHL regular in 2013-14, he’s had 15 or fewer goals three times. In all four seasons with the Devils, Palat had 15 or fewer goals.
The Devils needed more from Palat, but the injury knocked him off the rails early. He had some moments in New Jersey, but the negative will always outweigh the positive. It should have been better, and it would have been without the injury, but it is what it is at this point. We wish Palat the best in his future endeavors with the New York Islanders.