Just out of curiosity, which of those trades would you not consider a steal, or at least close to it?
ESPN grades the trade
NHL trade grades: New York Islanders swing big again in adding Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils
The New York Islanders have made a splashy play ahead of the NHL's Monday trade deadline, dealing for veteran New Jersey Devils forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac. The Isles dealt depth players A.J. Greer and Mason Jobst to the Devils, along with their first-round pick in the 2021 draft and a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2022 draft. The Devils will be retaining 50% of Palmieri and Zajac's cap hits as part of the terms.
How did both general managers do in this swap? Here are our grades for the trade:
New York Islanders: A-
GM Lou Lamoriello said it best when explaining the Islanders' trade for Palmieri and Zajac: There are no surprises with these two. "I know what they bring on the ice. I also know what kind of people they are and what they bring to the locker room. Chemistry is very important for me," he said.
They've played against these Islanders with frequency. They've played with New York defenseman
Andy Greene, who was a career Devils defenseman before Lamoriello reached over to Jersey and added him for the Islanders at last season's trade deadline. For better or for worse, there are no surprises here about the players the Islanders acquired.
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This isn't the kind of trade that secures a Stanley Cup for the Islanders. But it is the kind of trade that, if they're so blessed to hoist the chalice at the end of the season, they'll look back on as having added vital pieces to complete the puzzle. And it didn't cost them much at all, given that the return didn't include an upper-tier prospect and did include a first-round pick in a very mysterious draft.
New Jersey Devils: B
If the market for Palmieri was as robust as it appeared to be -- the
Toronto Maple Leafs and
Boston Bruins were among the reportedly interested teams -- then one wonders if the Devils couldn't have acquired a prospect, rather than a low first-round pick in a draft that many general managers admit is a complete crapshoot thanks to the lack of in-person scouting and other COVID-19-related impacts.
Essentially, that's what the trade was: Palmieri for a first-rounder. Greer and Jobst are depth talents on expiring contracts, although Greer has the potential to contribute. Zajac's trade value was extremely limited due to his age, effectiveness and full no-trade clause. It was likely going to be a team in the New York metropolitan area or back home in Winnipeg, or it was nothing. So the conditional fourth-rounder for Zajac is what it is.
Still, the value coming back to New Jersey for having retained 50% of both players' salaries should have been a bit more than a low first-rounder, two depth players and a fourth-round pick that becomes a third if the Islanders make the Stanley Cup Final.
Full story:
Trade grades: Islanders smartly improve Cup chances with Palmieri deal