Islanders Acquire Palmieri and Zajac from the Devils

[musky]

The New York Islanders have acquired forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils

The New York Islanders have acquired forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forwards A.J. Greer, Mason Jobst, the Islanders first round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and a conditional fourth round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. New Jersey agrees to retain 50% of both Palmieri and Zajac's salaries.  

Palmieri, born on Long Island in Smithtown, NY, has scored over 20 goals in each of the last five seasons in New Jersey. In 595 career games with the Devils and Anaheim Ducks, Palmieri has scored 355 points (183 goals and 172 assists). He's also scored 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 38 Stanley Cup Playoff games with Anaheim and New Jersey.  

Palmieri represented New Jersey at the 2019 NHL All-Star Weekend. The 5'11, 185-pound forward was selected in the first round (26th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft by Anaheim. He played three seasons in the American Hockey League with the Ducks affiliates, the Syracuse Crunch and the Norfolk Admirals, scoring 134 points (75 goals and 59 assists) in 148 games.  

Internationally, Palmieri represented USA Hockey at the 2009-10 (gold) and 2010-11 (gold) World Junior Championships, 2012 World Championships and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He was a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons (2007-08 and 2008-09) before attending and playing hockey at the University of Notre Dame in 2009-10.  

Zajac has 550 career points (202 goals and 348 assists) in 1,024 games, all with New Jersey. Over the course of his NHL career, the Winnipeg, MB native has finished 13 of his 15 seasons with a faceoff percentage of 50% or above. The 6'2, 185-pound center has competed in 57 career Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Devils, scoring 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points. Zajac set New Jersey's all-time ironman streak of 401 straight games, a run that lasted from 2006-2011. He was selected by New Jersey in the first round (20th overall) in the 2004 NHL Draft. 

Prior to his career with New Jersey, Zajac played two years of college hockey at the University of North Dakota, helping lead them to the Frozen Four in both seasons. He was named to the 2005 NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team, the 2005 NCAA East All-Star Tournament Team and the 2005 WCHA All-Rookie Team. In 89 games with the Fighting Sioux, Zajac scored 83 points (35 goals and 48 assists) and averaged over a point per game in his final season, with 47 points in 46 games.  

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[yave1964]

Great deal for both. Surprised a bit that the 'prospects' going to the Devils were really a  couple of non entities, Greer got in a few games with the Av's years ago but is AHL material only, Jobst went to Ohio State, I remember watching him in a few games, he really is an overage prospect using prospect in the loosest term possible here. But what the Devils got was a haul of picks including this years first, they already have the Devils second which they got for last years deadline deal for Andy Greene.

 

  Zajac slots as a faceoff machine as a 3c behind Barzal and Pageau, Palmieri top six winger replacing Anders Lee as a net front man on the top power play unit. Both adds were by need and the Isles have to be thrilled.

[ruxpin]

I'm not impressed.

On the New Jersey side, they emptied both barrels in one shot and came away with two middling prospects and a late first round pick in a meh draft.  I think they could have done better.

 

On the Islanders side I really think they got the wrong players for the wrong team.  I know it's defense first in NY, but I really think they should have taken the opportunity to get some offense and I don't think they actually addressed it.  It's not horrible and, as I said above, they didn't give up much to do it, but I'm simply not impressed with the move.

 

The best you can say on the Islanders side is they didn't hurt themselves.  Not sure I'd be any more positive than that.

[Brewin Flames]

I concur, if anything the isles bolstered the team, even if plams can walk at the end of his contract, and gave up jack **** in return, while the devils got weaker...

 

Unless that first rounder turns into a franchise player.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Personally, I feel the Islanders did pretty well here.
I agree with @ruxpin that perhaps more potent offense would have been a better add, but given the Islanders situation near the top of the cap, the availability of said potent offense, AND what it would have taken to get such players, NY made the most with what they had.

And getting a division rival to pay half the salary of each of the players mentioned? Nice again.

Obviously, giving up a first rounder is never preferable unless you ARE getting back young high end talent, but NY is in win-now mode and honestly, Palmieri and Zajac, both grizzled vets, help tremendously towards that end....provided both can stay healthy the rest of the way.

Those two should fit right into the Isles' "score just enough then shut them down" mentality.
In a way, these adds are a short term replacement for not having Anders Lee onboard.
And I also agree with @yave1964 that the players given up weren't that much of a sacrifice by NY.
Unless NJ is giddy about having the extra 1st rounder, one has to wonder what exactly, they were thinking......they probably really COULD have gotten a bit more for their vets.

With Zajac and Palmieri now with the team, the Islanders may actually have enough personnel to create three legit scoring lines and maybe move a player or two that was playing above his pay grade down to a more suitable line (thinking guys like Komorov and maybe Beauvilliar too).

A top line centered by Mat Barzal with wingers Jordan Eberle and Kyle Palmieri sounds pretty good to me.
After that, players can be slotted to more natural feeling positions and NY can then go about the business of seeing whether they can actually make headway in the playoffs this year.

[Brewin Flames]

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Trade: Islanders land Palmieri, Devils’ return includes first-round pick

By James O'BrienApr 7, 2021, 8:00 PM EDT

 

 

With Anders Lee out for the season, the New York Islanders needed scoring, and had cap space to get it. They once again completed a big trade with the Devils to do so, with Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac being involved in the move.

Islanders trade for Kyle Palmieri

Here’s how the Palmieri trade looks for the Islanders and Devils.

Islanders receive: Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac.

Devils receive: A.J. Greer, Mason Jobst, the Islanders’ 2021 first-round pick, and a conditional fourth-rounder in 2022.

Devils also retain 50-percent of salaries for both Palmieri and Zajac to complete the trade with Islanders.

Zajac needed to waive his no-trade clause to make the deal happen.

TRADE:

To NY #Islanders:
F Kyle Palmieri (50% retained)
F Travis Zajac (50% retained)

To NJ #Devils:
F A.J. Greer
F Mason Jobst
2021 1st RD pick (NYI)
*2022 4th RD pick (NYI)

* conditional pickhttps://t.co/fdgFXneQFb

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) April 8, 2021

 

 

Again, Palmieri helps fill the void left behind thanks to the Anders Lee injury. Palmieri, 30, is a pending UFA who’s struggled quite a bit this season. After scoring 24+ goals for five straight seasons (including the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign), Palmieri was limited to eight goals and 17 points in 34 games so far this season.

While the Islanders must hope that Palmieri rekindles his scoring touch, he does bring some value as a two-way player. That might make Palmieri more appealing to Barry Trotz and the Islanders than, say, maybe Taylor Hall? (Could depend upon who you ask, too.)

Lou Lamoriello enjoys Remembering Devils, so that helps to explain what would be the otherwise-startling inclusion of 35-year-old Travis Zajac.

Via Cap Friendly, these are the conditions for that fourth-rounder.

*Conditions: If the Islanders advance to the 2020-21 Stanley Cup Final, the 4th round pick upgrades to a 3rd in 2022 or 2023. Islanders have the option of which pick they will transfer.

Islanders trades are becoming a big part of Devils’ rebuild

Again, this is the second consecutive NHL trade deadline where the Islanders and Devils made a significant trade.

 

Last time around, the Islanders sent a 2021 second-round pick and John Quenneville to the Devils for Andy Greene. (The Islanders also spent big to trade for and then extend J.G. Pageau last trade deadline, so they’ve been going for it lately.)

 

Between the Greene and Palmieri trades, the Devils added the Islanders’ first and second-round picks for 2021, with a fourth-rounder that could turn into something in the third.

 

Immediately speaking, it’s not clear if the Devils will get much from the prospects involved in the Kyle Palmieri trade.

 

On one hand, A.J. Greer has some pedigree as an early second-rounder (39th overall) from the 2015 NHL Draft. On the other, he’s been pretty quiet at the AHL level at age 24. Mason Jobst is an undrafted 27-year-old with modest AHL numbers.

Overall, this seems like a decent win for both the Islanders and Devils. It’s up to Palmieri, in particular, to make this trade truly worthwhile for the Isles.

[yave1964]

Lee is better than Palmieri but Palmieri is an adequate replacement. 

 

Zajac is better thn Del Colle as a 3C and a veteran faceoff man.

 

 A late first to replace a key cog and add a defensive center IMHO is a fair trade for both.

 

  Zajac has been in the blender for a week, the only whisper has been the Islanders, I think I posted somewhere in here yesterday that Lou wanted Zajac. He drafted him, grew him from a pup and supposedly loves him almost like a son on a personal level. And Zajac is definitely a Trotz kind of player through and through.

[Brewin Flames]

Rumor has it that the bruins were deep into talks for Palms, but Sweeney refused to part with a first round pick, nixing any deal...which is fine by me.

 

No need to give up a first rounder (again) for an aging rental.

[Math]

Apparently, Lamoriello still orders the players to be clean shaved.

 

While this is effin' moronic, I'm also shocked that not a single players has told him to go f**k himself yet, him and his stupid retarded paternalistic 1930s vision. 

[OccamsRazor]

On 4/7/2021 at 9:53 PM, musky said:

The New York Islanders have acquired forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils

 

A good pick up for your club this should push yall into the talks for being a top team for the Cup.

 

I think you guys are as deep as any other team going for it. Deep on the blueline and in goal.

 

In my mind this team is better than the Isles of last year hands down.

 

If you can win it all now what else would it take??

 

I ******** hate you guys. Good luck. Sad my Flyers won't be there to have a say so in it.