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

[Capt Nico Poo]

You’re going to love this guy. It’s no secret that he was always part of our best lines in the past 8 years. And he’s still underrated for it. Great along the boards and on both sides of the ice. He does the small things so well you hardly realize it. Everyone around him plays so much better when he’s on the ice.

He will go on offensive droughts during the regular season though. I’m talking 20+ game stretches without a goal or just a handful of points. He’s also banged up a lot as you might have noticed from looking at his stats sheet: He’s never played a full 82 game season in his career.

Once you make the playoffs he’s a beast though. Clutch goals and almost ppg is the regular for him. Absolute warrior who will leave everything on the ice when it counts most.

Take good care of him. And never forget about Drej.

Sounds great! We are also very used to having a forward in our lineup who doesnt score a point in 20 games a few times in the season

 

[hidek91]

Like the player, don't like the term of the contract and don't like the timing (addition like this should be done when our core is regularly making play-offs).

If the expectation is that he should help us in the years during which we will be a bubble team at best and hinder us during the potential contention years then I don't see the point. This issue is also partially caused by a too long term because if it was 4 years, instead of 5 years, the negative consequences affecting our potential contention window would be less likely to happen. And while talking that risk with Hamilton could be justified because he was sort of unique UFA option, Palats are being signed every offseason.

Also, "you can always buy him out" crowd doesn't seem to realize that if you buy him out after 3 years, you're hit with the 2M cap hit in 4 years of the absolute prime of our core.

Does this signing makes us more likely to win the cup? I'd say it doesn't. It's not a Ladd/Eriksson/Clarkson type of a disaster but I don't really buy into the strategy behind this signing.

 

[FinnishDevil]

I cant really lose my mind for this contract after reading comments from that TBL fan in this thread. Does that not sound someone we desperately need? Great work ethic, good along the boards, works well with skilled players (not all do) due to his great hockey iq, doesnt shy away from contact. Add in to that his veteran presence that this locker room needs in a bad way, not to even mention winning presence. I couldnt give a damn if its a year and a million too much. Palat is gonna help Jack, Nico and our young core so much whether he puts up 40 or 60 points. Love to have a player like him, cant be bothered to worry if we have to buy him out in 2026.

 

[FooteBahl]

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.

Right now this could be the only potentially “bad” contract on our roster…maybe Dougie. In 5 years Palat’s contract aligns with Nico’s expiration, so that $$ can be shifted to him if he’s deserving of it.

With the new tv deal and hopefully an economic turnaround, the cap may be hovering around 100mil in a few years.

This contract should be the least of our worries. Now go make some offer sheets to Tkachuk, Laine, Crouse or Puljajarvi lol

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Not a fan of this at all. I was absolutely fine missing JG. Not really happy about this.

 

[Wierzbowski426]

Contract is meh, but not a huge deal. Cap should go up over the course of it too obviously.

Like but don't love Palat. Ok with this.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

Not a fan of this at all. I was absolutely fine missing JG. Not really happy about this.

Well our roster has now two proven players: Palat and Hamilton. Rest are still TBC and hope their presence can also propel rest of our team forward.

 

[StevensRocks]

Doesn’t anyone watch Tampa?

 

[StevenToddIves]

Palat was a great signing. Would I have preferred it at $1 million less per year? Yes. But Palat is a multi-dimensional forward who excels on the exterior and interior, who plays great two ways with physicality and high compete. He's a great role model for the younger players, with playoff experience, multiple cup rings and high character. And the Devils are not done adding yet, so I'm extremely optimistic. Nice job by the Devils management!

 

[MartyOwns]

seems like a lot of money for a 20 goal guy. doesn’t matter now, but that could be ugly in a few years. oh well

 

[Nocashstyle]

I love Palat and he’s exactly the type of player the Devils need. I’m happy with this.

Term? Yeah it’s not great, but this is the kind of deal Palat was going to get on the open market. Only one way to get him is to give it.

 

[ninetyeight]

I cant really lose my mind for this contract after reading comments from that TBL fan in this thread. Does that not sound someone we desperately need?

seems like a lot of money for a 20 goal guy.

My problem is he looks great and is a 20 goal scorer in Tampa, Playing with Kucherov and Stamkos with Sergachev Hedman McDonagh Rutta Vasi etc behind him.

Am I completely clueless if I think he won't be as good here?

 

[hidek91]

My problem is he looks great and is a 20 goal scorer in Tampa, Playing with Kucherov and Stamkos with Sergachev Hedman McDonagh Rutta Vasi etc behind him.

Am I completely clueless if I think he won't be as good here?

On top of that, he spent his prime in Tampa, while he will be between 31 and 36 y. o. here.

 

[britdevil]

Doesn’t anyone watch Tampa?

They got his prime years. We get his decline.

Really don’t like this signing.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Thats what I get for going to bed early. Not the best contract but I think Palat will still help us. I am content

 

[FooteBahl]

Palat was a great signing. Would I have preferred it at $1 million less per year? Yes. But Palat is a multi-dimensional forward who excels on the exterior and interior, who plays great two ways with physicality and high compete. He's a great role model for the younger players, with playoff experience, multiple cup rings and high character. And the Devils are not done adding yet, so I'm extremely optimistic. Nice job by the Devils management!

By not done adding, what would you guess would be the next move? Trade? Offer sheet?

 

[theoptimist]

We paid for the rings. He’s also the most accomplished player on the roster. I’ll wait a bit.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Screams "panic" move to me, but I'm not going to stress over the contract. Everyone else eats it on term and AAV, why should we sit out on the sidelines.

All the "little" things Palat does is great, but we need a lot more than the little things. Maybe it advances the cause the first few years of the deal, but when we really need it will Palat be able to provide it? Meh.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Once you make the playoffs he’s a beast though.

He better get use to missing the playoffs lol

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

He got a $700,000 raise and you dorks are whining about the AAV lmao

 

[theoptimist]

Palat Hughes Sharangovich could work.

It worked with Kuokkanen and Palat is 10 times the player he is.

End of season scoring runs, especially on a team well out of the playoff picture by December, mean nothing to me.

59-19-17 is just as bogus as 59-86-17.

 

[Better Call Sal]

He’s obviously not as big but based on his style of play, he feels very similar to Zubrus in being able to plug him at wing on each line and let him do his thing. Finish checks, create space for his linemates and chip in through the dirty areas.

Makes my balls tingle.

 

[severian]

Doesn’t anyone watch Tampa?

No. We’re Devils fans. Season ends in April.

 

[OmNomNom]

if we have to buy him out in 3 years, we're stuck w 3M AAV for 4 years.

3M AAV will be about 3.33% of the cap (assuming 90M limit) -- are we going to be spending up to that amount? bc if we are, that assumes we've succeeded at the rebuild, so why should we be complaining at that point?

 

[MadDevil]

My problem is he looks great and is a 20 goal scorer in Tampa, Playing with Kucherov and Stamkos with Sergachev Hedman McDonagh Rutta Vasi etc behind him.

Am I completely clueless if I think he won't be as good here?

Granted, the overall talent level isn't the same, but it's not like Jack, Nico, Bratt, Mercer, Hamilton, Luke Hughes in the near future, etc. are all a bunch of bums. He may not be as good as he was in Tampa, but he brings a needed skillset to the top 6. I wish he was like 3-4 years younger, but you can't always time things perfectly.