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

[minibrodeur]

No, but 6m is 1m to much.

Did you expect him to take a paycut? If that was the case he woulda just stayed in Tampa.

 

[glenwo2]

Should’ve just f***ing tossed Johnny 11 instead of going 6 on Palat.

Johnny wasn't signing with us NO MATTER WHAT, man.

He wanted no part of the Franchise that is the enemy of his "favorite team" the Flyers.

Plus, his wife probably had a big say as to where to go as well so whatever.

 

[Triumph]

Have we always been this hysterical?

I can't tell if I am just apathetic after years of this or if most of you are just being babies.

Maybe 50/50 lol.

I think the years of losing (and being in a crucible on this forum) have warped people's brains. Also this is the first 4+ year UFA signing the team has made since Cammalleri in 2014. Nobody remembers what it's like.

 

[AfroThunder396]

This is all the same shit that we heard when we traded for Subban and signed Simmonds. Those moves worked out terribly but made a ton more sense at the time than this one does.

Subban and Simmonds were brought in because Shero, like you, valued cap space more than he valued on-ice talent. He was scared of handing out sub-optimal contracts so he was only able to bring in bargain bin options. That's the correct move when you're scorching the Earth and building a core, not the correct move when you already have a core and are pushing to make the playoffs.

We went over 5 years constructing a roster off of waiver pick ups and other teams garbage, I can't believe people want to return to that time.

 

[JrFischer54]

Btw, he’s absolutely going to block young wingers like Gritsyuk and Holtz. The $6 million guy plays, the $6 million guy gets the ice time.

This is such a Glenn Sather move, Fitz needs to go.



No, no it’s not. Not if your GM isn’t a clown. Nichushkin was pending UFA and signed a great contract.

maybe instead of just giving out roster spots to kids because they are young maybe make them work for playing time. maybe they can learn something from having him in the locker room?

 

[Blackjack]

I think the years of losing (and being in a crucible on this forum) have warped people's brains. Also this is the first 4+ year UFA signing the team has made since Cammalleri in 2014. Nobody remembers what it's like.

We made one last year.

 

[markog]

Did you expect him to take a paycut? If that was the case he woulda just stayed in Tampa.

Tampa has 79,7m cap payroll already for 23/24 season with 12 players signed - how would they do it? Some other team would have do it. And I don't have a problem with signing.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Is 35 really that old? He'll have just turned 36 when it's done.

Yes. How many effective NHLers, especially at forward, can you name that are older than 33? Almost none, and the ones that are were the best players in the league in their prime (Marchand, Crosby, Ovechkin, Pavelski, etc.).

It's gonna be a rough contract for probably the last 3 years.

 

[JrFischer54]

LOL one is old and the other is young. Durrr

i mean we had a team of young kids running the show for what 5 years now? how has that turned out for us? lol some of you guys just think lets get a bunch of young kids on the team that veteran leadership winners aren't worth anything.


good lord who would've thought signing 1 player over 30 would've broken this board so much? lol

 

[The Wumpus]

The whiplash from "oh no we're missing out on all the free agents" to "oh no we signed a free agent" is entertaining if anything.

Free agency = overpaying, especially if you're not a hot destination. It'll be fine. Ondrej is a versatile vet who can show the kids how to win. It's a year or two too long, but that's free agency.

 

[Triumph]

We made one last year.

I did forget that, but it was the guy at the top of the market that everyone wanted, and that was linked heavily to us all week leading up to it. Most of UFA is signing Palats, not Hamiltons.

 

[TF1970]

yikes idk about that term.

 

[Unknown Caller]

i mean we had a team of young kids running the show for what 5 years now? how has that turned out for us? lol some of you guys just think lets get a bunch of young kids on the team that veteran leadership winners aren't worth anything.


good lord who would've thought signing 1 player over 30 would've broken this board so much? lol

It's not just signing a player over 30. If they signed Palat for 3 years at $5m, that would have been fine. 5 years at $6 million is just a bad contract.

I don't get why it's so difficult to agree that (1) it's a bad contract and (2) Palat is still a solid 2nd line player. Both things can be true. Given this team's timeline, they're going to regret the contract in their peak years.

 

[Blackjack]

hey man, lol responding to another of your posts

why is 6.6% that bad? if we buy him out and it drops to 3.3%, is that also bad?

Yeah, IDK what to say if you don’t think $6 million is a lot. I think it will do significant harm to our chances of winning a cup, I guess we’ll see.

 

[I Hate Tie DOMI]

This contract is giving me Travis Zajac flashbacks and Mr. Stone Hands was loved around these parts by the end of that contract right? Nobody wanted him shipped out of off the team at 35. Nope. Nobody.

 

[Nocashstyle]

I like the signing but am not feeling as optimistic as usual for this upcoming season. Maybe it’s because the dream off-season has not gone as expected. Missing out of slafkovsky and gaudreau now.

The thing that stings is last night the “insiders” are reporting that the devils have signed gaudreau and they are just working out the details of the contract and then at 645 they announce that he signed in Columbus so idk wtf happened but devils would have had the smallest top line if they signed gaudreau. Palat will be good for this team but it's one year too rich

That’s funny, because I’m actually feeling as optimistic as ever. We saw Hughes, Bratt, and Hischier break out. We can finally be comfortable that they are true building blocks. Shara showed he’s also not just a flash in the pan. Hamilton hopefully gets a full season. Zacha turned into Haula who is a much better player. Palat is the type of forward we’ve sorely been missing. Hopefully Hamilton gets a full healthy season. Goaltending is still a little scary, but I can see the Devils being on the Avalanche path: with L Hughes and Nemec joining the lineup to push the Devils over the edge.

 

[Bankers Box]

I’m fine with the contract. It’s a year longer and a bit more than I would have wanted but the Devils can always deal with that if he ages poorly.

The Devils needs to actually think about winning for once instead of precious cap space. Cap space can be managed in the future if you’re smart, like Tampa.

 

[Billdo]

Yeah, IDK what to say if you don’t think $6 million is a lot. I think it will do significant harm to our chances of winning a cup, I guess we’ll see.

you think this contract will harm our chances of winning a cup??? It's a 5 year deal and we have made the playoffs ONCE in the last ten years and it was very clearly a fluke.

 

[Traitor Zach]

Yes. How many effective NHLers, especially at forward, can you name that are older than 33? Almost none, and the ones that are were the best players in the league in their prime (Marchand, Crosby, Ovechkin, Pavelski, etc.).

It's gonna be a rough contract for probably the last 3 years.

We have no idea. Let it play out. Palat fits what Devils needed in their top group of forwards. He's a veteran guy who has earned raves from folks because how he plays a full game, complements his linemates. He can play on the boards, middle of the ice, in transition. Very valuable. He's not a premier shooter or scorer, but not many forwards are.

I think folks might be a little surprised. Palat putting up some unusual goal production might happen. He played on lines where he was not always the prime option for setting up shots (if he ended up on Stamkos line, it was Stamkos, same thing with Kucherov and Point). If he plays with Hughes, he'll likely see a lot more 1a shoot first opportunities. He will go into streaks like all forwards do, so hopefully some of the fans here will understand the concept of needing guys that play a style and method of what it takes to win.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

It's not just signing a player over 30. If they signed Palat for 3 years at $5m, that would have been fine. 5 years at $6 million is just a bad contract.

I don't get why it's so difficult to agree that (1) it's a bad contract and (2) Palat is still a solid 2nd line player. Both things can be true. Given this team's timeline, they're going to regret the contract in their peak years.

I think most people recognize that the last year or two won’t be good. There’s a disagreement over how much that will matter. I doubt it matters much, I just can’t give a shit about having to pay a pick or two in 4 years to dump him.

 

[JrFischer54]

Yes. How many effective NHLers, especially at forward, can you name that are older than 33? Almost none, and the ones that are were the best players in the league in their prime (Marchand, Crosby, Ovechkin, Pavelski, etc.).

It's gonna be a rough contract for probably the last 3 years.

even if that is the case (which it won't) who freaking cares! its not going to hurt us trying to bring players in and seeing how johnny wouldn't take MORE to come here its pretty slim pickings out there on who will want to come here. is this your money thats being spent?

 

[Unknown Caller]

I’m fine with the contract. It’s a year longer and a bit more than I would have wanted but the Devils can always deal with that if he ages poorly.

The Devils needs to actually think about winning for once instead of precious cap space. Cap space can be managed in the future if you’re smart, like Tampa.

Ondrej Palat is not going to be the difference between winning and losing.

 

[glenwo2]

bold prediction for all yall - palat will have career high pts w our top line

I think the safer prediction would be he would score more goals in one season than Tatar has throughout his entire tenure as a Devil.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

The handwringing over our ~2026 cap situation is bizarre.

That is how bad teams stay bad.

 

[MauDevils]

Sign...Jesper...Bratt.

I'm getting such a bad feeling about this.