Confirmed Signing with Link: [NYI] Kyle Palmieri signs with the Islanders (4 years, $5M AAV)

[AvatarAang]

Barzal played with Komarov during the playoffs. Lee wasn’t there. Eberle is extremely streaky. Are you really surprised that his stats dropped during the playoffs?

And yet Isles fans lose their mind when people say Lou is a terrible GM. Tortz is the best coach in the league…image if he still had Toews and a legit 1st line W on Barzal’s line…that team probably wins the cup.

What magnifies the problem is that NYI isn’t an attractive free agent destination, so they are forced to rely on Uncle Lou to make a trade to bring in a #1W. When is cap space going to free up when he keeps signing old players to long-term contracts that end in their mid 30s? They lost Eberle and replaced him with Palmieri at the cost of a 1st round pick. A lot of teams improved this offseason, Barzal must be thrilled to see that their big summer acquisition is Zach Parise.

 

[JTToilinginToronto]

Let's be honest: the Islanders are not winning a cup with this core. I think signing Palmieri to this contract kills any chance they have of improving the team. I don't know what else they could have done with his cap space but I just don't like this contract.

They were one game away from putting away the closest thing we've seen to a dynasty since the 90s Red Wings.

But sure, complete pretenders.

 

[Wanderson]

Delete

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Not quite the bargain we were told to expect. Fair value.

 

[Forge]

Meh. Nothing great, nothing egregious. It's a fine deal if KP can get back somewhere in the vicinity of what he was prior to last year. He was just completely checked out on the Devils.

 

[saintunspecified]

And yet Isles fans lose their mind when people say Lou is a terrible GM. Tortz is the best coach in the league…image if he still had Toews and a legit 1st line W on Barzal’s line…that team probably wins the cup.

What magnifies the problem is that NYI isn’t an attractive free agent destination, so they are forced to rely on Uncle Lou to make a trade to bring in a #1W. When is cap space going to free up when he keeps signing old players to long-term contracts that end in their mid 30s? They lost Eberle and replaced him with Palmieri at the cost of a 1st round pick. A lot of teams improved this offseason, Barzal must be thrilled to see that their big summer acquisition is Zach Parise.

I had no idea nonsense could be so highly concentrated.

 

[PK Cronin]

And yet Isles fans lose their mind when people say Lou is a terrible GM. Tortz is the best coach in the league…image if he still had Toews and a legit 1st line W on Barzal’s line…that team probably wins the cup.

What magnifies the problem is that NYI isn’t an attractive free agent destination, so they are forced to rely on Uncle Lou to make a trade to bring in a #1W. When is cap space going to free up when he keeps signing old players to long-term contracts that end in their mid 30s? They lost Eberle and replaced him with Palmieri at the cost of a 1st round pick. A lot of teams improved this offseason, Barzal must be thrilled to see that their big summer acquisition is Zach Parise.

This is a bad assessment.

Toews wasn't the difference between beating Tampa Bay or not. Komarov was playing because Lee was hurt. Eberle being lost was calculated and pretty much inevitable due to the expansion draft. The price to replace him wasn't the 1st round pick, that first round pick was for Palmieri and Zajac to finish out the year and play in the playoffs. There's value in that. I don't think Barzal gives a shit if Parise is the big acquisition or not. He'll be playing with Lee and a new winger on the top line, and then Lamoriello will address the team needs at the deadline like he's done the previous two years.

As for cap space, Komarov is up after this season, as is Clutterbuck, and Johnston ($7.5M) in space), not to mention Boychuk's salary ($6M) so they won't have to LTIR anymore. Varlamov and Bailey only get easier to move as they have less years on their deals. Cap space isn't really going to be a major issue.

 

[Sweetpotato]

Phenomenal contract. Congrats isles fans

 

[Michael HOMERUNing]

Solid deal

 

[Sota Popinski]

They were one game away from putting away the closest thing we've seen to a dynasty since the 90s Red Wings.

But sure, complete pretenders.

I didn't say pretenders. I think that was as good as it gets though. Most of the team is on the wrong side of the aging curve. How are they going to improve when they have no cap space and no good prospects?

 

[saintunspecified]

Is he? He's a power play specialist that can chip in some goals. Is that what the Isles need?

He played with Pageau on a line that frustrated the heck out of Boston. (The line because far less effective after Pageau was injured against Tampa.)

 

[bossram]

Seems like Beauvillier and Sorokin being offer sheeted was a concern, now that they are both signed there's nobody left to get offer sheeted.

Huh?

If they were un-signed, they were eligible for offer sheets this whole time.

If they were signed but Lou hadn't announced it...why?

 

[JTToilinginToronto]

I didn't say pretenders. I think that was as good as it gets though. Most of the team is on the wrong side of the aging curve. How are they going to improve when they have no cap space and no good prospects?

They got $20M in cap space next offseason with pretty much Pulock and Dobson the only major players to re-sign.

The "Islanders are old" narrative is pretty misleading as a lot of the old players are role players or depth.

Here are the notable players under 30: Barzal, Beauvillier, Wahlstrom, Pageau, Mayfield, Dobson, Pelech, Pulock and Sorokin

That's a 1C, a top pairing defense pairing and a staring goalie all under 30. The three most important roles on a hockey roster filled with youth.

And the notable veterans (Lee, Nelson, Bailey, etc) are still relatively young for vets. It's not like they're in the mid or late 30s.

 

[PK Cronin]

I didn't say pretenders. I think that was as good as it gets though. Most of the team is on the wrong side of the aging curve. How are they going to improve when they have no cap space and no good prospects?

The players on the wrong side of the aging curve aren't really the key pieces. Barzal, Beauvillier, Wahlstrom are the key for the forward group moving forward. Defensively there isn't a single key player over 28.

 

[PK Cronin]

Huh?

If they were un-signed, they were eligible for offer sheets this whole time.

If they were signed but Lou hadn't announced it...why?

The theory was that if Lamoriello signed the other players first a team would know exactly how much to offer sheet in order to cause a cap problem for Lamoriello where he couldn't sign Beauvillier or would have to lose something else in order to do it. By not officially signing anyone until the RFAs were handled first, it allowed him flexibility to match any offer sheet he wanted without getting screwed. Again, that's just the fan theory.

 

[Chardo]

So Lou waited until September to announce his signings for...reasons?

Fax is only 2400 baud

 

[PWJunior]

Fax is only 2400 baud

Stop exaggerating, Lou is old school at being old school. 300 baud, 2400 baud is a luxury.

 

[Pure Slaughter Value]

Meh. Nothing great, nothing egregious. It's a fine deal if KP can get back somewhere in the vicinity of what he was prior to last year.

I would've liked it if it were 500-750k less a season but it's not Ladd-like...

 

[NJ DevLolz]

Yeah, typically there is a learning curve going into one of the strictest systems in hockey.

He was bad in NJ, too. He’s lost a half step

 

[Twine Tickler]

am I missing something?

When was 5 million AAV in a flat cap a good valuation for a player who scored 30pts in 70 games in his contract year?

bit confused. I recognize there is still life left for Palmeri and I'd consider that production to be a touch uncharacteristic for Palms given his consistent 50pt production over his career. But I am just not seeing how this can be considered a massive W. Players generally get worse in their 30's, so to think he has more to give would be a bit ambitious. At the end of the day, I suspect Eb's leaving will open up more opportunities to produce for Palm's but this to me is paying him for projected production not what he has provided already. After all he only gave the Isle 13pts in the 36 games he has played for them. Maybe a bit of recency bias comes into play with his stronger play in the playoffs. Kind of smells a lot like the JGP deal. Paid to get the player at the TDL, and paid again to retain that player.

I also recognize the style of play that NYI plays does not lend itself to their players putting up massive pt totals. I think we can all agree that Barzal anywhere else is well over a Pt/Game player. To a lesser degree this all applies to the rest of the lineup. But unfortunately when it comes down to valuing a players output to their contract that is a leaguewide standard that everyone holds regardless of where they play. JGP and Palmeri are just 0.5 pt/game players that both make 5million AAV. That's not good valuation in my opinion.

 

[Chardo]

Palmieri played half the year on a bad team, then had to adjust to a new team with a radically different structure. Reduced point total is understandable. Eye test, especially in the playoffs, showed him better than his season stats.

 

[Gurglesons]

Palmieri played half the year on a bad team, then had to adjust to a new team with a radically different structure. Reduced point total is understandable. Eye test, especially in the playoffs, showed him better than his season stats.

Palmieri also got the benefit of playing on a bad team as their main power play option. When Palms was on Anaheim in a depth role he wasn't close to what he did in NJ.

 

[Pure Slaughter Value]

@Twine Tickler you make fair points. He’s going to be on a line with Barzal and a healthy Lee so I expect to see his points jump up dramatically

Isles fans hope this deal winds up as good as the Pageau deal and contract are. That was stellar, a 28th overall for a solid 3rd line C with good face off skills, strengthened our Pk, can play on the Pp and Trotz moved him up and down the lineup whenever an injury occurred

 

[saintunspecified]

I also recognize the style of play that NYI plays does not lend itself to their players putting up massive pt totals. I think we can all agree that Barzal anywhere else is well over a Pt/Game player. To a lesser degree this all applies to the rest of the lineup. But unfortunately when it comes down to valuing a players output to their contract that is a leaguewide standard that everyone holds regardless of where they play. JGP and Palmeri are just 0.5 pt/game players that both make 5million AAV. That's not good valuation in my opinion.

As a NYI fan, I'm not really all that concerned whether Palmieri is paid a touch too much (maybe he is?). If I look at the group over the next 3-4 years, I'm pretty happy. I think it would be fairer to have Palmieri down 1MAAV and Adam Pelech up 1MAAV, but considering the totals (which is really what matters), it's all good.

I also think the structure of the Cizikas & Palmieri contracts will matter. If NYI front load them (like they did with the Josh Bailey deal, and Brock Nelson's to a lesser extent), they maximize their future flexibility.

 

[saintunspecified]

One last thing, I think NYI fans realize that the best window for the team is the next two years. After that I, at least, expect a decline. NYI have D prospects (most NYI fans are higher on Bolduc than he is given credit for, but every team has someone like that probably), but there is *very* little up front. It's going to get very difficult to replace declining players, even in the bottom-6, starting in 2023-24 unless NYI absolutely hit some immediate help draft home-runs.