Boston Bruins: Would a Kyle Palmieri trade feel like a letdown?
Of the names the Boston Bruins have been linked with nearing the deadline, Kyle Palmieri doesn’t inspire us like the other suggested options.
Honestly, any right winger is a step up on the partners that David Krejci has been seeing as partners on the Boston Bruins second line. It’s not to say the likes of Anders Bjork, Charlie Coyle or Karson Kuhlman (among others) can’t handle the role; just they’re not game-changers really.
Perhaps that’s why Kyle Palmieri feels like he’d be a letdown. Comparing his basic statistics this season to other rumoured targets like Chris Kreider and Tyler Toffoli, he’s very similar in terms of both goals and assists, even his penalty minutes are close enough to suggest he plays the same aggressive style.
However, when you look to his height and weight, we’re talking 5’11” and relatively lightweight at just 185lbs compared to Kreider’s 6’3″ 217lb frame. Of course, to Boston Bruins fans hoping for someone that’s willing to play physical and throw themselves about; the bigger, the better.
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At just 56 hits to Kreider’s 93; again, Palmieri disappoints. Likewise, we’re talking 34 shot blocks to 24. However, adding a comparison to Toffoli, suddenly Palmieri isn’t the worst possible option for willingness to put his body on the line.
Tyler Toffoli has just over half less on Palmieri’s total hits for the year with just 29 and only 10 blocks. He’s even less willing to get physical than the New Jersey man.
In all of this, we’ve not yet mentioned the out-of-form and for a decent chunk of the campaign, injured, Josh Anderson. He actually compares incredibly favorably with Kreider in terms of laying hits with 68 hits in just 26 games. Kreider’s 93 are across 51 games, so factoring in hits per game, Anderson is the biggest hitter out of all the rumoured right-wing targets.
However, that’s not the point. It’s probably a little unfair to see a perennial fifty-point player (thereabouts) as a letdown. If the Boston Bruins can wangle a trade that doesn’t over-pay, Kyle Palmieri is perfectly serviceable and still not a bad choice at all.
It’s an upgrade on what the Boston Bruins currently have on the roster and even better, he has another year to run on his contract so isn’t just a rental deal. Bad news is the Bruins would have to find a way to add the $4.65 million per season cap hit.
Kyle Palmieri might not be a name that would have the Massachusetts homecoming story going for him, he may not have Stanley Cup pedigree like Tyler Toffoli or potential to be snapped up cheap like Josh Anderson.
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That doesn’t mean to say that adding him to the Boston Bruins line-up would be a negative move. Any addition to fix a need can surely only be positive. The only way it’s a letdown is if Kreider eventually is traded for the same asset price.