Devils ship Zajac, Palmieri to Islanders

    I haven't watched as many New Jersey Devils games of late, mainly because of the period of time when it seemed like the Devils played and lost to the Washington Capitals every game (I'm not exaggerating, the Capitals and Devils played eight times this season and Washington has won all eight) and let alone the pain of being forced to watch on the Capitals network with the worst commentating team in hockey.

Still, I've been paying attention and the struggling team was certainly going to be a seller at the upcoming trade deadline.

Tom Fitzgerald moved early and traded the team'ss top asset as New Jersey traded Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac to the nearby New York Islanders for a package that included the Islanders' first-round draft choice in this year's draft.

Both Palmieri and Zajac will be free agents at the end of the season and both are thought to be willing to consider a return to the Devils with Palmieri's agent having talks with the Devils for the week previous to the trade as the two attempted to come to an agreement on a contract extension.

Zajac waived his no-trade clause to make the deal, likely because of the location and his past with the Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello and the Devils are possibly considering an attempt to work on a contract with him as a free agent as well.

The thirty-year-old Palmieri had sat out the past two games to keep him healthy for a possible trade but had seemed a bit down this season with eight goals and nine assists in thirty-four games with only one goal on the power play.

Palmieri has been one of the league's better power play scorers over the recent seasons as a Devil, so the Islanders are hoping that he returns to that form in blue and orange.

Zajac turns 36 next month and his long(eight-year) contract that he was signed to by Lou Lamoriello (two teams ago for Lou) finally ends at the end of next season.

I've thought the contract was an overpay ( in length), but Zajac's effort and leadership have never been in question, and it's sad to see him in another uniform.

Zajac has seven goals and eleven assists this season for New Jersey in thirty-three games for the Devils, but I'm not sure that Zajac will be more than a penalty killer or a situational player for the Islanders.

Still, he is a leader, might help on faceoffs a little, and for an Islander team that is going all-in for the second consecutive season (the Islanders have now traded their first-rounder at the last two trade deadlines)

The first-rounder is the centerpiece of the Devils' return as the Devils also received a conditional fourth-rounder to be decided by the Islanders for either the 2022 or 2023 draft and minor league forwards Mason Jobst and A.J. Greer.

The pick will become a third-rounder if the Islanders reach the Stanley Cup Finals, which gives Devils fans a conflicted decision for rooting for the Islanders in the playoffs.

The faster they go out, the higher the first-rounder will be, while the longer they last the better the chances that the fourth-rounder becomes a third.

Neither of the two players acquired should be considered prospects and are more than likely players to make the trade work that could help Binghamton.

At 27, Jobst has never played a minute in the NHL, and after a college career at Ohio State, Jobst scored five goals in 44 games for AHL Bridgeport last season and hasn't scored in seven games for the Flying Tigers this season.

The 24-year-old Greer scored one goal in thirty-seven games spread out over three seasons with Colorado but has spent the last two seasons in the AHL with Colorado, and this season with Bridgeport, Greer has scored a goal and an assist in ten games.

The former second-rounder seems the better bet to have a chance to stick around and maybe has a chance for promotion this season if the Devils make further trades, but I wouldn't count on him to be more than AHL filler or an occasional injury callup.

Honestly, I'm kinda "meh" on this trade.

Not for trading Palmieri and/or Zajac, I'm OK with that with impending free agency.

I'm not sure Zajac may not retire after the playoffs, and if he does play next season the Devils along with the Islanders and hometown Winnipeg Jets are likely the only teams that he might return to play for.

And a first-rounder is more than many expected to bring back for Palmieri.

However, that first-rounder is going to be near the back of the first round at worst, and in the low twenties at best, and the players involved have a better chance at being out of the organization by next season than they do as contributors to the Devils.

In the end, the Devils winning this trade will come down to how they use the Islanders first-rounder and that answer is several years down the road.

 

Devils sliced by Sabres in Shootout

       Jack Eichel scored the only goal of the shootout and it was all the Buffalo Sabres needed to slide by the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in Buffalo.

Devils goals to Ty Smith (2 Power Play), Andreas Johnsson (1), and Janne Kuokkanen (1).

New Jersey earns one point but takes their third loss in a row.

The Devils will rematch Buffalo Sunday at 1:00.

Hell Raisers

1) Before the game, the Devils placed Travis Zajac into Covid-19 protocol.

Zajac will miss both of the contests in Buffalo until his diagnosis is decided.

2) The Devils again lose a shootout without a score and one thing that many of the Devils have been doing in the shootout- they skate up very slowly and wait to shoot until they are almost on top of the goalie.

This gives the goalie time to read and commit to the shot but leaves the shooter with no other avenue for the shot.

3) Myles Wood on the power play continues to use himself on the man advantage as a parking cone and quite effectively.

On Ty Smith's goal, it was Wood directly in front of Linus Ullmark, screening him and allowing Smith's shot to go through.

4) Smith may have been the victim of a bad call in the third period and it cost the Devils a goal.

Smith was called for hooking and I didn't see a hook AT ALL.

The resulting penalty kill saw the Sabres score on Victor Olofsson's shot and take a 3-2 lead.

5) Those faceoff woes continue as the Devils won only 25 of 64 against the Sabres.

6) Janne Kuokkanen scored his first goal in the league and Andreas Johnsson scored his first in a Devils sweater in the defeat.

Devils top Flyers 4-1

Travis Zajac scored two goals (3 and 4,both on the Power Play) and Kyle Palmieri added a goal (3) with two assists as the New Jersey Devils rebounded from a loss to Columbus with a 4-1 win in Philadelphia over the Flyers.
Andy Greene ended the third period onslaught with an empty net (1) goal with a few seconds remaining.
Cory Schneider finished with 27 saves in notching the win in net.
The Devils will next play Saturday at 1;00 in a afternoon matinee against the Islanders.

Hell Raisers

1) Travis Zajac looks like a different player this season.
That's easy to say as his numbers have improved early this season,but maybe it's motivation for either being criticized for being overpaid by people like me or for the trade rumors that surrounded him in the off-season.
Whatever it is-I hope it stays around...

2) Kyle Palmieri's goal beat Steve Mason and used his speed for the one on one chance.
Palmieri was brought in to help revamp the Devils into a speedier team and thus far I've liked what I've seen.

3) Adam Larsson isn't exactly known for his physical play,but he must have had bad intentions in this game as he seemed to be very aggressive in smacking Flyers around in leading the Devils in hits...

4) Brian O'Neill missed his first NHL goal by inches as his tip off an Adam Larsson shot eluded Steve Mason,but tipped off the goal post and trickled away.
It's odd how these things bounce sometimes.

5) The Devils have won five of six and are four and one on the road.
To say I'm surprised is an understatement,but I'm not arguing,
I'm not convinced that this can hold up all season,but I'll take it while I can,,,,

Devils extend Travis Zajac and other news!

I've been busy and have not had a ton to write about over the last week.
It's been slow, but with the hockey lockout over, I'll try to have a Devils preview finished before the Saturday night opener at the NHL Muni on Long Island.

I have two terrific interviews finished and in the inbox, so I hope to get them posted over the next week or two.
They are both excellent and one might be our best yet!
Stay tuned for those!

The New Jersey Devils decided not to risk another homegrown star bolting via free agency and signed their top center in Travis Zajac to an eight-year extension worth 46 million over the term.

The deal is pretty cap-friendly as Zajac will make less money in the first two years of the deal when Ilya Kovalchuk is making the most and increases as the Kovalchuk contract decreases.
Zajac would have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and locking him up now enables Lou Lamoriello to either work on existing player renewals or to land a player from outside the organization.
The Devils look to be under the floor by a fair amount under the new CBA, so the money to sign or extend players (Patrik Elias and/or David Clarkson) looks to be there next summer.

Travis Zajac is a solid number one center, on other teams, he might be one of the best second liners in the game, but his passing ranks with the better centers and the Devils will need a feeder for Ilya Kovalchuk.
This signing ensures that the Devils have that and the pairing will have many years to get the chemistry down.
Zajac also is the Devils' best faceoff man, which will come in quite handy in the shortened season.
I like (not love due to the length) the deal as it keeps Devils players in the family, which I am usually in favor and Zajac gave the Devils a small discount in the contract as well.
Usually, Lou Lamoriello returns that loyalty when the player's career is over, so Zajac will likely benefit from that when playing days are past for him.

Nice start to the new CBA era for the Devils and should keep some contract locker room conversations away for the winter!

Photo Credit: Newark Star-Ledger