New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello made a statement during his end of the year press conference. He told the media that bringing back as many of his players as possible was his priority. Today, the Islanders have announced that forward Kyle Palmieri is back with the Islanders on a long-term deal.
CONTRACT TWEET
Palmieri looked to be a rental for a postseason run, yet following the Islanders playoff run, he openly stated that he wanted to be back with the Islanders if possible.
The 30-year old forward recorded 10 goals and 11 assists in 51 games split between the New Jersey Devils (34 GP) and Islanders (17 GP).
The Islanders acquired Palmieri a few days before the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline as New York needed help on the offensive side of the puck. He came to the Islanders along with forward Travis Zajac in exchange for the Islanders’ first-round pick in 2021 and two prospects.
Despite a slow start with his new team, with just two goals and two assists in those 17 games, Palmieri showed his worth in the postseason.
In 19 playoff games, Palmieri scored seven goals, which was tied with Brock Nelson for the team lead.
The Long Island native kicked off the postseason in style, as he netted the opening goal for the Islanders in their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins before netting the overtime winner.
Kyle Palmieri scored his first career overtime winner in the playoffs with 3:30 remaining in the extra frame to propel the @NYIslanders to a win in Game 1 of their First Round series against the Penguins. #NHLStats: https://t.co/9g15uotLKt pic.twitter.com/A0FLb1nj6k
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 16, 2021
Palmieri collected three goals in the six-game series against Pittsburgh. He scored four in six games against Boston, including a three-game goal streak from Game 3 to Game 6. In the seven-game series against Tampa, Palmieri failed to crack the scoreboard.
Despite his increase in production once the schedule shifted to the postseason, the regular season was an abnormal one for the 11-year veteran.
Prior to the 2019-20 campaign, Palmieri had recorded 20 or more goals in each of his last five seasons. He failed to reach the 25 goal plateau just once in that span. The 2020-21 season was an outlier, and while his struggles are to blame for the lackluster stat line, New Jersey was not a strong club focusing on the development of younger players.
The Islanders have been longing for consistent offense. It has been an issue that has plagued this hockey club for a handful of years now and has been an issue over the last two regular seasons. Although the offense has come alive in the postseason, the Islanders have yet to see the offense flourish during an 82-game season since head coach Barry Trotz took over the team.
Whether Palmieri steps in on the top line as Jordan Eberle’s replacement or slots in alongside new acquisition Zach Parise, centered by Jean-Gabriel Pageau on the third line, the consistency he has showcased over his NHL career will be of great importance.
