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Right by the end of the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Ducks made a deal. Per Elliote Friedman of HNIC on Twitter, the Devils acquired right winger Kyle Palmieri for the 41st overall pick - a second round pick this year - and a pick in 2016.
ANA sends Kyle Palmieri to NJ for the 41st pick and a 2016 selection.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 27, 2015
Update: Per the NHL's Twitter account, the 2016 pick is a third rounder.
This is certainly an interesting deal. Like with anything involving the Devils, it came out of nowhere. Let's take a step back and break it out.
Palmieri plays right wing so he absolutely fills a position of immediate need. He's also 24 and signed for another year. Per General Fanager, his cap hit is $1.46 million and his salary is $1.6 million for 2015-16. He'll be a restricted free agent afterwards. The bad news is that he has not been particularly productive with Anaheim. Here's his career stats at NHL.com. He put up 14 goals and 15 assists in 57 games last season; 14 goals and 17 assists in 71 games in 2013-14; and ten goals and eleven assists in 2013. He does average well over a shot on net, though. His even strength stats at War on Ice aren't terrible. His CF% was above 50% last season, however he's been below 50% before. So he's not necessarily a significant play-driver.
That all said, he's not old, he plays right wing, and he'll contribute something. That's not bad. And the Devils would have the rights to keep him should he do well since he'll be a RFA after this coming season. Is he going to be the player that makes a big difference on the team? No. Is he better than the potential pick at 41st overall and a pick in 2016? Probably better than the third, the second - well, that remains to be seen.
In the meantime, what do you think about the trade? Do you like Kyle Palmieri? Do you think this is a fair return? Would you have preferred that the Devils kept the 41st overall pick instead? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this deal in the comments. Thank you for reading.