Ondrej Palat healthy scratch hints at something bigger for Devils

The New Jersey Devils made an intriguing move ahead of Tuesday night’s tilt against the Winnipeg Jets that might suggest something bigger is looming for the Devils.

As Devils beat reporter Amanda Stein revealed, forward Ondrej Palat was a healthy scratch for Tuesday night’s game. Stein reported that the move responded to “roster-related reasons.”

That’s hockeyspeak for, “we want to keep this guy out of the lineup because we want to trade him and we don’t want him to get hurt before then.”

If that’s indeed the case, the move could signal that the Devils are on the verge of making a much-anticipated move. The prevailing chatter since the run-up to the Quinn Hughes trade had suggested the Devils wanted to clear cap space.

Palat, and his onerous contract, was the first name on the list. However, there were no serious takers for Palat amid his declining production and ice time. That situation did not justify his $6 million cap hit.

While there is no talk of anything imminent regarding a Palat trade, there has been some chatter linking Palat to a Metropolitan Division rival.

According to insider Pierre Lebrun, there might be something brewing with the New York Islanders, given the connection between Mathieu Darche and Palat. Both were members of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization during the Bolts' Stanley Cup runs.

Palat trade rumors are nothing new for Devils fans

Trade rumors involving Ondrej Palat are nothing new for Devils fans. If anything, they have become par for the course this season. The Devils have been reportedly looking to move Palat and defenseman Dougie Hamilton. The main reason lies in how both contracts have become burdensome on New Jersey’s cap situation.

Unfortunately, the market has been bone dry on Palat. While there has been speculation that a handful of teams might be willing to take a flyer on Palat, the expectation is that the Devils could retain some of his cap hit.

Such a move would pretty much defeat the purpose of the deal. The idea is for the Devils to rid themselves of Palat’s entire cap hit. He’s under contract for one more season at $6 million. Palat has a full no-trade clause, which means he can’t be moved without his full consent.

While there's nothing imminent thus far, there might be something to the noise. These are ongoing developments that will require monitoring. Be sure to check back to Pucks and Pitchforks as the situation develops.