Confirmed Signing with Link: [NJD] F Ondrej Palat signs with the Devils (5 years, $6M AAV)

[TGWL]

Yeah, but you're forgetting that Palat is better than Trocheck

I'm not sure that's true. They play different positions and are both top 6 players. Palat is smarter but I'm not sure he's better. With that said, there doesn't need to be a pissing match here on which signing was better. Both players are on the older side. Both players provided a need. Both contracts probably won't age well but that's what happens during free agency, you pay to fill a hole.

 

[Peter Griffin]

I think this deal is going to age like milk, How often have these long term deals to 31+ year olds worked out? Good for Palat though, got his cups and now he got his cash.

 

[Forge]

I think this deal is going to age like milk, How often have these long term deals to 31+ year olds worked out? Good for Palat though, got his cups and now he got his cash.

Yeah, it won't be pretty at the end. You're just hoping that the cap rises enough in those last two years and the structure either allows for it to be easily moved as a dump or a buy out.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

I think adding Palat is a great move for a young devils team, a guy that's been there & can help instill a 'winning culture' into their key young players.

The problem is he's 31 & the contract is going to age badly.

Your hoping for 3 really good years, then that he's still a valuable top 9 contributor for the last 2, but that's where things get dicey.

Given how hard it is now to take the step from 'rebuilding' team w/ good young players, to a legit playoff team year-in year-out, I think it's a good gamble for NJ.

 

[UrbanImpact]

I think adding Palat is a great move for a young devils team, a guy that's been there & can help instill a 'winning culture' into their key young players.

The problem is he's 31 & the contract is going to age badly.

Your hoping for 3 really good years, then that he's still a valuable top 9 contributor for the last 2, but that's where things get dicey.

Given how hard it is now to take the step from 'rebuilding' team w/ good young players, to a legit playoff team year-in year-out, I think it's a good gamble for NJ.

Metro is tough,

I dont see NJD making playoff and being a top 3 in that division anytime soon especially with no G and no D top pairing. Prospects are a few years away from contributing.

Palat should not have been their target. Gaudreau yes,

They needed to improve sure i agree with that decision as they cant be forever just drafting high, but they need someone that could have grown with their core. Palat is beat up and broken down, only so much you can teach the core from the press box from injury or ltir.

 

[Jerzey Devil]

Metro is tough,

I dont see NJD making playoff and being a top 3 in that division anytime soon especially with no G and no D top pairing. Prospects are a few years away from contributing.

Palat should not have been their target. Gaudreau yes,

They needed to improve sure i agree with that decision as they cant be forever just drafting high, but they need someone that could have grown with their core. Palat is beat up and broken down, only so much you can teach the core from the press box from injury or ltir.

Just admit you don’t watch the Devils. L Hughes will be up as soon as his sophomore season is over next season. Nemec will either start the season in NJ or Utica and probably be ready by 2024 at the latest.

Holtz should be ready for the Devils this season.

Blackwood should be healthy and we have a legit backup. Last year we went through 7 different echl to AHL quality goalies. With any kind of goaltending every other team besides maybe Detroit got we would have been a bubble team last season.

 

[Waterbuf]

I like Palat but surely this deal must feel like a lump of coal in the stocking for Devils fans after yesterday's events.

 

[T REX]

He had 44 points in 55 games last season, but yeah let's hold it against him that COVID happened.

In those 6 years he's averaged a 53 point pace.

Helps to have a Kucherov/Stamkos/Point getting him pucks

I have no doubt you are going to be disappointed

PS DO you think a 53 point pace is something special?

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Helps to have a Kucherov/Stamkos/Point getting him pucks

I have no doubt you are going to be disappointed

PS DO you think a 53 point pace is something special?

Without primary PP time? Yeah that's pretty solid.

 

[The Joker]

Yeah really not happy with Fitz here. Terrible contract.

 

[Forge]

I like Palat but surely this deal must feel like a lump of coal in the stocking for Devils fans after yesterday's events.

I think it depends on whether or not you believed they were getting Johnny. Some people did, some people didn't. Certainly hits different ways for each. Some people didn't want him period because of the contract.

I don't mind signing Palat. I think he's valuable for on ice contributions and intangibles. But I don't think it takes a rocket surgeon to know that you shouldn't give 31 year olds 5 year deals in free agency. If this is a 3 year deal, nobody bats an eyelash about his fit with the devils, whether they should have signed him, etc. Perfect example is the David Perron signing. There shouldn't be too many people saying, "well, they shouldn't have signed him because he doesn't align with their timeline". That's silly. If the Devils had made the trade for Patches that Carolina did, nobody is thinking that they messed up or made a weird move.

Is it possible that he ages fine? Absolutely. I wouldn't have thought Pavelski would still be a ppg player at age 37, and David Perron has put together some of his best seasons at age 31, 32, 33. But the process is not great. I think it's okay to say that. The process should not be signing 31 year old guys in free agency. Perron, Pavelski...those are the exceptions, not the rule.

But I don't think anyone on the devils board hates the player or thinks he's not the type of player we desperately need.

 

[Neutrinos]

Palat is a good player but this is too much for too long and NJ is going to regret it.

It's possible that New Jersey doesn't end up regretting the signing, however, the vast majority of teams who sign these types of players to these types of contracts almost always do end up regretting it

It just wasn't a gamble the Devils needed to make at this time given where they are as a team in relation to the league's top contenders

 

[DFC]

As a TB fan, this one really hurts.

The sky finally fell.

 

[AfroThunder396]

It's an overpay but it's not an egregious one. This team's core is locked up long term and they're swimming in RFA/ELC deals, they have a fantastic long-term cap situation.

This is exactly the kind of player NJ needs. One mildly overpriced veteran isn't going to kill them.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Helps to have a Kucherov/Stamkos/Point getting him pucks

I have no doubt you are going to be disappointed

PS DO you think a 53 point pace is something special?

Actually he plays at 60 point pace when playoffs are included

 

[bert]

Dodged a bullet with Gaudreau and landed a big fish with Palat.

Well done New Jersey.

Way better fit for what their team is missing. All situations player that will do whatever it takes to win, great signing by NJ. They have their Gaudreau in Hughes and Bratt. How small can you actually be? This will be huge for them in being harder to play against.

 

[Rschmitz]

If Palat got decent PP time his point totals would be higher, but it’s really dumb to judge him on just stats when his real value is playing in every zone and tilting the ice 5v5.

Like I said in an earlier post, top lines need players like Palat to do the hard work, because you actually need to gain and retain the puck against the other team. He does that, but is also skilled enough to not be dead weight on the very best offensive teams in the league

 

[The Macho King]

Can a Bolts fan explain why Palat seems to have an extra level for the playoffs but seems to not show it much during the regular season? From the outside looking in the obvious answer is that he is lazy but that doesn't seem right.

Has Palat himself ever said why there is such a difference?

You will never accuse Palat of being lazy when you watch him play.

Some of it is variance. Some of it is usage (less "roll four lines" in the playoffs and more "put the top line out there as much as possible" so there is more opporunity). But he's not a different player in the playoffs or the regular season except insofar as the playoffs are naturally more intense and some guys are just better at matching that level.

 

[MS]

This is going to be an Eriksson/Ladd/Backes special.

Palat has been a fine player, but these huge deals for 30+ 50-point 2nd liners never turn out well.

 

[T REX]

Actually he plays at 60 point pace when playoffs are included

Pace is a fake number. You are what your number say you are...not hitting 50 points in 6 seasons...stop it.

 

[TBF1972]

I think this deal is going to age like milk, How often have these long term deals to 31+ year olds worked out? Good for Palat though, got his cups and now he got his cash.

you learned something from the jt miller trade talk.

 

[HugeInTheShire]

Did he actually sign though? Over 12 hours later and it's still listed as unconfirmed and it hasn't been announced.

 

[DFC]

Pace is a fake number. You are what your number say you are...not hitting 50 points in 6 seasons...stop it.

What makes Palat special is how he can take an okay line and turn it into one of the hottest lines in the league. Like 90% of the hot TB lines have had Palat on them, going back to the Triplets. I think Palat-Filppula-Callahan even predated that.

 

[ManByng]

Palat has to be the modern day poster boy for what a successful 7th round pick is….consistent 40 to 60 point player, no less than FOUR trips to the cup finals with TWO championships, and is a good playoff scorer. Every team wishes they could find someone like this in the 7th round !!

 

[njdevil26]

Still not announced by the team. No actual terms/breakdowns mentioned. Not being talked about anywhere.
The Devils still haven't announced signing Brunette to the staff. I honestly don't know what the hell they were doing.

Wonder if they were disappointed in the amount of people that probably didn't tune in to their Brendan Smith video chat.