Kyle Palmieri was always the perfect fit for the New York Islanders who load up
Kyle Palmieri is built for the New York Islanders and the way they play hockey.
We had our first blockbuster trade on Wednesday night ahead of the Trade Deadline on Monday, with the New York Islanders acquiring veteran forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils for a package featuring a 2021 First-Round pick.
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The Islanders also sent a conditional Fourth-Round pick in 2022 – that becomes a Third if the Isles reach the Stanley Cup Final this year – and two low-level prospects in A.J. Greer and Mason Jobst, while the Devils retained 50 percent of both Palmieri and Zajac’s salaries.
It was a look toward the future type move for the Devils who added more Draft capital that they can use to build around a young and talent-laden core, and it was a pretty decent return for two veterans on expiring contracts.
This trade was all about the New York Islanders, however, who have absolutely loaded up and made it crystal clear to the rest of the National Hockey League that they mean business this year when it comes to going all out to win.
Kyle Palmieri was always the most logical choice for the New York Islanders
And, while the Islanders were linked with a number of forwards in the wake of Captain Anders Lee going down with a season-ending knee injury, it is fair to presume that Kyle Palmieri was always their number one target and it is a perfect fit for both parties.
For starters, Palmieri is a player Islanders General Manager Lou Lamoriello knows well from his days with the Devils and, as we know with Lou by now, he likes what he knows and he will know exactly what he is getting with both Palmieri and Zajac.
Palmieri will just slot seamlessly into this system too. While Buffalo Sabres forward Taylor Hall was linked with a possible trade to the Islanders, it is fair to say that Hall is more of a flair forward who excels in the offensive zone but isn’t a two-way type of player, and that won’t sit well with Lamoriello or Head Coach Barry Trotz.
That type of luxury player just wouldn’t work in this system where every player has to sacrifice something for the good of the team, and the Islanders won’t have to worry about that with Palmieri or Zajac, who are both known for their two-way play.
Palmieri in particular can play a real 200-foot game, he’s a hard-nosed player despite his relatively small size, he can get to the dirty areas, he’s willing to crash the net and battle hard in the corners, he’ll put his body on the line and he will also dish out hits and get physical if needed.
He’ll hustle at both ends of the ice and he’ll give everything he’s got on every single shift while playing big minutes, and that’s exactly what Trotz and the Islanders want, so Palmieri will fit right in and should be a huge addition to that top-six forward unit.
Not to mention the fact that Palmieri is a consistent offensive force given that he scored 20 or more goals in five straight seasons prior to this year, including 30 goals in 2015-16, and he’ll also be a lethal weapon on the power play and can play on the penalty kill too.
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So, while the New York Islanders were certainly linked to a lot of forwards in the buildup to the NHL Trade Deadline, it is absolutely fair to state that veteran right-wing Kyle Palmieri was always the perfect fit for them and it should work out to be a match made in heaven, especially if the 30-year-old can help this team win the fifth Stanley Cup in franchise history.