The first major agreement of the NHL deadline for 2021 has landed, and while it is a big step, it should not come as much of a shock. The New York Islanders are looking for a replacement for the score and leadership lost by captain Anders Lee‘s end-of-season injury, both added in a deal with the Devils, who got veteran forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac. The trade, as first post by Arthur Staple of The Athletic, is the second season in a row that the Islands have acquired a career devil from their rivals in the city, as Zajac will once again be with a longtime teammate Andy Greene In New York. Both Palmieri and Zajac are immediately available to the islanders due to their nearby area and are expected to join the team tomorrow.
As one might think, the trade returns for the Devils are substantial, even in a buyer’s market. In exchange for their two core forwards and 50% retention on both salaries, New Jersey receives the islanders’ first-round pick in 2021, a conditional pick in the first round of 2022 and young forwards AJ Greer and Mason Jobst. The conditions for the second choice are as follows: if New York reaches the Stanley Cup final this season, the fourth player becomes a third player and the Devils can choose whether they want it in the 2022 or 2023 draft.
This trade obviously has the fingerprints of Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello everywhere. The veteran manager was the GM of the Devils when Zajac was drafted in 2004. He tried to buy the two-way center again last season, but Zajac did not want to give up his No-Movement clause. This time, with the expiration of his contract, Zajac is ready to finally move on from the Devils in the pursuit of a Stanley Cup, especially if he will be accompanied by some familiar faces. After Lamoriello gave up a second round for Greene last year, he did not hesitate to go back to the pit in New Jersey and offer a first for Zajac and Palmieri. He may also have played something for the home crowd and added a Long Islander in Palmieri. The 78-year-old GM is all in this year and makes the fans happy.
What do the islanders get in this agreement? To begin with, they add more than 1600 NHL games to the experience of the series, an element that cannot be underestimated for a candidate. This will definitely help make up for the loss of Lee in the leadership division. Offensively, neither Palmieri nor Zajac have been at their best this season, but they are still top five scorers for the Devils with 15 goals and 35 points between them. Palmieri is considered one of the top targets on the market, even in an off-season, and plays with one of the island’s three top centers, especially Mathew Barzal, should help improve his marks. Zajac is the perfect fit for head coach Barry Trotz‘conservative system as a smart, measured, two-way forward. Where exactly he fits into a deep ranking in the series remains to be seen. The islanders will have to figure out what works best with their many possible line combinations, but for now, Palmieri and Zajac will bump into Oliver Wahlstrom and Kieffer Balg from the active grid. An underestimated part of this trade from the point of view of the islanders is the retained salary. Only half of Palmieri’s and Zajac’s contracts contribute to the cap wage, and the Devils are still available with about $ 3 million in the long-term injury reserve, enough room to make another acquisition if they would prefer.
As for the Devils, they land a coveted first-round pick – an asset that is expected to be difficult for sellers this season. GM Tom Fitzgerald knew that the islanders did not have a second player because he acquired last season in the Greene agreement, and therefore they knew that a first player would have to be in the game if the islanders wanted Palmieri. The addition of Zajac and the retention of salary certainly helped the case, but overall it is worth adding another top prospect to the rebuilding of New Jersey. As for the players in the package, they are not flashy names or long-term building blocks, but they can be good depth additions if the Devils decide to hold them. Jobst has not yet started in the pros with 15 points in 50 AHL games, but was a candidate of Hobey Baker at the state of Ohio and has achieved arbitrarily in his college career. Underweight and already 27 years old, Jobst is not exactly a prospect and he is working on a contract that expires, but it could be a good depth if New Jersey gives him the chance to translate his game to the highest level. . Greer, 24, was a second-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2015 and already has 37 NHL games and more than 200 AHL games to his credit. Greer plays with size and energy, but has also shown an onslaught on the minors, making him a valuable substitute who can contribute in any role. The looming RFA has yet to prove to him that he’s an NHL rule, but he should have an opportunity with New Jersey to prove he’s worth a new contract and an extended appearance.