Confirmed with Link: Weekesbomb: Palat to NJ for five-year deal

[Oneiro]

I don't like the contract on principle - history makes the argument for me - but I also think the hysteria is a bit much.

You could do worse for rich contracts going into a guy's 30s - Backes, Lucic, Neal, etc. Palat's a good player, physical but not someone over-reliant on his frame or his shot or any single attribute. I think there's a lot to be said for heady players like this that continuously facilitate more talented linemates (Kunitz, Williams, etc).

I think sometimes you have to look at the specific guy instead of the profile. (Same for Slafkovsky, by the way...)

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Yup this is a win now move for a team that finished 5 last. Granted skater wise they were far better than that but it was still only like average. This doesn’t even come close to vaulting us into contention and by the time we will be contending he’ll have fallen off a cliff. I really can’t believe the way this deal is getting defended. It’s so bad

When I was first saw 5 years I thought maybe he won Palat on the AAV, but once I saw 6M, I realized it was bad. I'm still hopeful that he can be decent for 3 and then years 4+5 we can ship him out. It's just gonna hurt bad.

 

[devilsblood]

I…I don’t know. Palat is certainly the type of player this team needs to balance out the forward groups a bit. But something feels like this isn’t going to work. Fitz went from trying to acquire another small (albeit elite) finesse guy in his prime to overpaying for a 31 year old middle 6 forward. And I’m not angry that we didn’t get JG, I think we dodged a bullet in terms of having too much finesse in the lineup. But it’s not truly a dodge when you turn around and spend a 60% of that amount on a single player who could turn to shit within a couple of years. Just sort of reeks of desperation and I find it hard to trust the moves this organization makes. What FA signing has worked out here post-Lou? Not counting Dougie being a TBD with the injury in his first year with us.

Given the years, we spent significantly less then 60%.

 

[Neutrinos]

Pacioretty had a 10 team NTC, so we don't know if the Devils were on it. The Devils also tried to get Johnny Hockey when the Golden Knight traded him, so they couldn't commit money for Pacioretty then.

Of course we can't know sure, but given that he's an American, it wouldn't surprise me if the Canadian teams made up 7 of those teams

It's also worth noting that he's in a contract year, so it would likely benefit him financially to land in a spot where he'll have individual success, and playing on New Jersey's top line alongside Hughes would certainly be appealing to most wingers

Plus, he's from Connecticut, which isn't too far from New Jersey

Really? Didn’t know that.
And I take it you know what he’s going to do?

No, I don't

Which is why I wouldn't have given him that contract

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I don't like the contract on principle - history makes the argument for me - but I also think the hysteria is a bit much.

You could do worse for rich contracts going into a guy's 30s - Backes, Lucic, Neal, etc. Palat's a good player, physical but not someone over-reliant on his frame or his shot or any single attribute. I think there's a lot to be said for heady players like this that continuously facilitate more talented linemates (Kunitz, Williams, etc).

I think sometimes you have to look at the specific guy instead of the profile. (Same for Slafkovsky, by the way...)

I don't think anyone's disagreeing that Palat is good. He's actually decent for this team + fit. But why are you going 6Mx5 in a 31 year old? Forwards tend to age earlier anyway so the chance of you getting most of your value of this contract is probably low which is why people are upset. Fitz had to win with either the term or AAV, he lost with both which is tough to see.

 

[McDuffz88]

I talked to some Tampa fans I know in real life & they keep insisting we are going to love the guy. I even asked the Tampa board. Everything I'm hearing is everyone is saying he does it all. He finishes his checks, works the boards, can pass, can score, has great positioning & is good defensively. Tbh he sounds like the perfect winger for the Hughes line. Let Hughes control play/skate around while Sharangovich gets in position for his shot while Palat does the dirty work to keep the play alive by finishing checks/fishing the puck out the corners.

 

[Hisch13r]

When I was first saw 5 years I thought maybe he won Palat on the AAV, but once I saw 6M, I realized it was bad. I'm still hopeful that he can be decent for 3 and then years 4+5 we can ship him out. It's just gonna hurt bad.

I was immediately turned off upon seeing 5 years (well actually it was seeing Palat’s name because I figured he’s exactly the of guy who gets a shit deal so I just knew it was coming) but at least if it was 4-5 mil you’d be getting some surplus value at the start of the deal. Instead it’s a deal that’s he’s literally not even worth for year 1 let alone down the line. A Tatar-esque cliff fall also isn’t out of the realm of possibility and then we’re just so so so f***ed

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Of course we can't know sure, but given that he's an American, it wouldn't surprise me if the Canadian teams made up 7 of those teams

It's also worth noting that he's in a contract year, so it would likely benefit him financially to land in a spot where he'll have individual success, and playing on New Jersey's top line alongside Hughes would certainly be appealing to most wingers

Plus, he's from Connecticut, which isn't too far from New Jersey



No, I don't

Which is why I wouldn't have given him that contract

So you wouldn’t sign anyone then. That’s a unique viewpoint.

 

[Guttersniped]

Perron deal was a good one, I was hoping we were in on him.

I think I'd rather have Palat than Trocheck or Copp

Trocheck is cheaper because he got 7 years. That’s how you can get a AVV down like that. And yes, the Rangers are also a team that traditionally attracts FAs and just had a deep playoff run. So that helps.

Copp took a bit of a discount, he was projected at 6.6m. He’s from Michigan and Detroit got a nice deal there.

 

[guitarguyvic]

He clearly isn’t a middle 6 forward. Like I’m not even sure how that could be debatable.

The last few years he produced like a second liner. I’d be pretty surprised if he doesn’t dip down into third line production within a couple of years based on his age. This type of player also has the potential to completely fall off a cliff at any point at that age. I think “middle six” is a reasonable bet across the length of his contract.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

 

[Lou Bloom]

I'm not a fan of the deal but he's a Devil now so just have to root for him to prove me wrong. Looking at it from the optimistic side he brings the exact type of complementary two way game that the Devils could use next to their young playmakers and it's not like there aren't examples of players being signed well into their 30s and aging gracefully.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

The last few years he produced like a second liner. I’d be pretty surprised if he doesn’t dip down into third line production within a couple of years based on his age. This type of player also has the potential to completely fall off a cliff at any point at that age. I think “middle six” is a reasonable bet across the length of his contract.

Well right now he’s a top 6 forward. Everyone’s aware he will likely decline as most UFA’s will.

I'm not a fan of the deal but he's a Devil now so just have to root for him to prove me wrong. Looking at it from the optimistic side he brings the exact type of complementary two way game that the Devils could use next to their young playmakers and it's not like there aren't examples of players being signed well into their 30s and aging gracefully.

thank you for a reasonable take

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I was immediately turned off upon seeing 5 years (well actually it was seeing Palat’s name because I figured he’s exactly the of guy who gets a shit deal so I just knew it was coming) but at least if it was 4-5 mil you’d be getting some surplus value at the start of the deal. Instead it’s a deal that’s he’s literally not even worth for year 1 let alone down the line. A Tatar-esque cliff fall also isn’t out of the realm of possibility and then we’re just so so so f***ed

Yeah, I saw 5 years and thought the opposite. I thought Fitz got a killer AAV on it considering he's usually pretty good with contracts and walking away when something doesn't make sense. I wonder if he thinks his job's on the line coming into this offseason with the struggles this team's had that he had to get Palat at all costs to save face.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Yeah, I saw 5 years and thought the opposite. I thought Fitz got a killer AAV on it considering he's usually pretty good with contracts and walking away when something doesn't make sense. I wonder if he thinks his job's on the line coming into this offseason with the struggles this team's had that he had to get Palat at all costs to save face.

I’m guessing he just really wanted to get him and was willing to pay the price. He’s a great fit and even if the contracts not great it’s not the end of the world and should be manageable.

You can be good at contracts and walking away but every now and then decide you’re just gonna pony up the cash and pay what you need to to get something done. It’s also not far off projections for Palat. He’s never shown himself to be a rush into decisions or panic decisions type of GM and he seems to look at a lot of different avenues. At the end of the day he clearly thought this was the best move and I’m gonna trust him on that. At the very least he makes our team better right now.

But yes, he also knows the team needs to get results for his sake.

 

[MadDevil]

I don't think Fitz panicked or thought he had to get Palat at all costs. I think most likely Palat was a secondary option after Gaudreau, and based on the fact that multiple teams were rumored to be in on Palat, I think this is what the market dictated. He's a veteran 2 time Cup winner coming off another Cup FInal appearance. He's a "gritty" guy who does "all the little things to win". I would not at all be surprised if other teams were offering him 5 years at 5 or 5.5 million, or 3-4 years at 6 million.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I don't think Fitz panicked or thought he had to get Palat at all costs. I think most likely Palat was a secondary option after Gaudreau, and based on the fact that multiple teams were rumored to be in on Palat, I think this is what the market dictated. He's a veteran 2 time Cup winner coming off another Cup FInal appearance. He's a "gritty" guy who does "all the little things to win". I would not at all be surprised if other teams were offering him 5 years at 5 or 5.5 million, or 3-4 years at 6 million.

Ya I think he wanted him and decided to pay what he had to to get it done.

 

[BananaGenetics]

No it isn’t. It’s extremely disingenuous and you’re absolutely trying to make him sound worse.

Would you or do you think it would be reasonable to say Gaudreau was a 50 point player in the 2 previous seasons?

And even if you want to look at it like that and completely ignore the fact that games were missed due to the pandemic he put up more than 45 points in both of the last 2 seasons.

So even when you look at it in a dumb way like that it’s inaccurate to say he’s a 40-45 point guy.

Clearly just trying to make him sound worse than he is. Couldn’t be more obvious

But Im not and hes not Johnny Gaudreau.

Its a difference of semantics that you're claiming is some sort of calculated effort to discredit Palat

Ive said already I like Palat but was afraid his contract would be too long. And if he played 82 games next year odds are he breaks 50. But his role past this season probably wont involve top-6 time and linemates, add in his age and its not at all fair to claim of a player who quite literally (and I hate that word nowadays lol) has not hit 50 since 2017; poor circumstance, simple logic, it doesnt matter.

The stats at the end of the year havent hit 50 since 2017, therefore no I cannot call him a 50pt player. Dougie Hamilton is in the exact same position. I wont call him a 50pt defenseman because he hasnt done it since 2017. Yet we all know healthy and a good PP1 and hes hitting 50 on this team

 

[Neutrinos]

I’m guessing he just really wanted to get him and was willing to pay the price. He’s a great fit and even if the contracts not great it’s not the end of the world and should be manageable.

You can be good at contracts and walking away but every now and then decide you’re just gonna pony up the cash and pay what you need to to get something done. It’s also not far off projections for Palat. He’s never shown himself to be a rush into decisions or panic decisions type of GM and he seems to look at a lot of different avenues. At the end of the day he clearly thought this was the best move and I’m gonna trust him on that. At the very least he makes our team better right now.

But yes, he also knows the team needs to get results for his sake.

It may not be the "end of the world", but it might be the end of New Jersey's ability to sign a top tier UFA like Tkachuk or Pastrnak next summer

 

[Captain3rdLine]

But Im not and hes not Johnny Gaudreau.

Its a difference of semantics that you're claiming is some sort of calculated effort to discredit Palat

Ive said already I like Palat but was afraid his contract would be too long. And if he played 82 games next year odds are he breaks 50. But his role past this season probably wont involve top-6 time and linemates, add in his age and its not at all fair to claim of a player who quite literally (and I hate that word nowadays lol) has not hit 50 since 2017; poor circumstance, simple logic, it doesnt matter.

The stats at the end of the year havent hit 50 since 2017, therefore no I cannot call him a 50pt player. Dougie Hamilton is in the exact same position. I wont call him a 50pt defenseman because he hasnt done it since 2017. Yet we all know healthy and a good PP1 and hes hitting 50 on this team

Even if you want to play this dumb game you’re trying to play calling him a 40-45 point guy is clearly just inaccurate.

It may not be the "end of the world", but it might be the end of New Jersey's ability to sign a top tier UFA like Tkachuk or Pastrnak next summer

Ummm it really shouldn’t be. They will still have cap space and they were always gonna bring someone in so even if it was someone closer to 4M that’s a 2M dollar difference.

It won’t end our ability to do that next off-season.

 

[BananaGenetics]

Even if you want to play this dumb game you’re trying to play calling him a 40-45 point guy is clearly just inaccurate.


Ummm it really shouldn’t be. They will still have cap space and they were always gonna bring someone in so even if it was someone closer to 4M that’s a 2M dollar difference.

It won’t end our ability to do that next off-season.

Well you can gladly point it out and make me look bad the day he hits 50 for us. I would gladly look bad if it means success for the Devils

You make it sound like im rooting against him. I cant make the signing go away nor have I hated on it, Ive stated Im not a fan of it but it has its perks and escape routes.

Palat will make me horny in the corners and crease. Doesnt change the fact that Ill feel wrong about it after, kind of like fetish porn...... lmfao

 

[Oneiro]

I don't think anyone's disagreeing that Palat is good. He's actually decent for this team + fit. But why are you going 6Mx5 in a 31 year old? Forwards tend to age earlier anyway so the chance of you getting most of your value of this contract is probably low which is why people are upset. Fitz had to win with either the term or AAV, he lost with both which is tough to see.

I think Fitz looked at an inexperienced core being asked to do a lot in every zone with very little help and paid the market premium for the right kind of guy at the wrong time.

I don't think this f***s up a powerhouse down the line. But you can't do it again.

 

[Guttersniped]

I talked to some Tampa fans I know in real life & they keep insisting we are going to love the guy. I even asked the Tampa board. Everything I'm hearing is everyone is saying he does it all. He finishes his checks, works the boards, can pass, can score, has great positioning & is good defensively. Tbh he sounds like the perfect winger for the Hughes line. Let Hughes control play/skate around while Sharangovich gets in position for his shot while Palat does the dirty work to keep the play alive by finishing checks/fishing the puck out the corners.

Yes, and f***ing Sonny Milano isn’t a better idea, these aren’t automatons, they’re people.

Palet is very smart, unbelievably savy, two-way player with a ton of experience who works very hard. He’s exactly the kind of vet you want on a team. And he has no problem contributing on lines with elite players, he’s better than Tatar (going by what we saw this summer).

Just because a contract isn’t great value with nice upside doesn’t mean it’s the worst thing in the world that everyone must immediately despise. I’m going to wait to see Palet on the team first.

He signed, the deed is done. Arguing about how he’ll age is pointless, we’ll all find out together.

If and when this contract is a problem, then Fitz (or the then current GM) will have to deal with it.

 

[Brick City]

I don't like the contract on principle - history makes the argument for me - but I also think the hysteria is a bit much.

You could do worse for rich contracts going into a guy's 30s - Backes, Lucic, Neal, etc. Palat's a good player, physical but not someone over-reliant on his frame or his shot or any single attribute. I think there's a lot to be said for heady players like this that continuously facilitate more talented linemates (Kunitz, Williams, etc).

I think sometimes you have to look at the specific guy instead of the profile. (Same for Slafkovsky, by the way...)

Oh man, have not read this whole thread, but is there really hysteria? I thought Palat was one of this board's consensus plan B's if JG didn't work out. Also pretty sure MacKenzie reported way earlier yesterday that Fitz was in on Palat along with Seattle. This likely wasn't a panic signing.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

It may not be the "end of the world", but it might be the end of New Jersey's ability to sign a top tier UFA like Tkachuk or Pastrnak next summer

Not sure I necessarily agree with this, this team is gonna have a ton of ELC's that insulate them for the next couple of years. I also want to see what the RFA's get to get a better picture of this team's cap room, they probably have the lowest roster size right now for 23-24.