The New York Islanders are widely believed to be a team that will make a move before the NHL Trade Deadline. Seeking a forward to replace the injured Anders Lee, the Isles have been linked to left-winger Taylor Hall, even though there’s no clear indication as to which way the Buffalo Sabres are leaning with Hall’s contract situation.
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Another name to watch will be Kyle Palmieri out of New Jersey. The Devils’ forward is set to become a UFA and while Elliotte Friedman confirms in his 31 Thoughts article that the Devils and Palmieri have begun the process of discussing his future with the team, there’s lots of talk out of that organization that players may be on the move. Newsday’s Andrew Gross wonders if GM Lou Lamoriello will target Palmieri before the trade deadline and writes:
He plays the hard-edged game coach Barry Trotz prefers. He has scored at least 24 goals in each of his five full seasons with the Devils, with a career-high of 30 in 2015-16. His reasonable cap figure of $4.65 million would also allow the Islanders to pursue a defenseman. Off the ice, Palmieri’s foundation Squad 21 has afforded military members the chance to attend Devils games and interact with him.
Palmieri Could Help islanders Solve Two Problems
Gross adds that the focus for the Islanders is to add scoring on the top line. Palmieri certainly fits the bill in that regard. And, while he’s not necessarily a bargain, he’s much less costly than Hall. Hall’s $8 million versus Palmieri’s $4.65 million is a big difference and adding the latter would mean the Islanders could also seek out some help on defense.
The team would like to add a little depth in that regard and it’s probably not possible if Hall is the primary target.
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