Boston Bruins: Kyle Palmieri should be the top trade priority now
By Luke Ryan
Although the rumors won’t go away surrounding the Boston Bruins and Chris Kreider, they should focus their attention instead on Kyle Palmieri of the New Jersey Devils.
It’s already been seen that interim General Manager of the Devils, Tom Fitzgerald isn’t averse to trading assets. In fact, the Boston Bruins have already missed out on adding a player from the Devils in Blake Coleman.
The biggest appeal to going for Kyle Palmieri over Chris Kreider is the fact that the Rangers’ winger’s contract expires this summer, making Kreider a pure rental acquisition. Palmieri, by comparison is paid roughly the same but has an additional year of term.
Given the age of the Boston Bruins core and the fact that by next summer, Don Sweeney is staring down the barrel of contract renewals (or not) for David Krejci and Tuukka Rask among others; Palmieri would be a wise addition for two shots at the play-offs, before it gets a little complicated.
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Of course, the big concern is just how much Tom Fitzgerald will ask for his right-winger, knowing that he fills the exact position the Boston Bruins are hunting for an upgrade on.
Not only that, he also instigated the over-pay for Blake Coleman and Palmieri is in-form with 13 points in his last 13 games, on pace for a career-high 61 points by the end of the season. None of these factors are going to make him very cheap.
At the absolute minimum, you’d expect a second round pick to be asked for, though this may be wishful thinking given it cost Tampa a first round pick (from Vancouver) to prise Coleman from the Devils. That deal also would suggest that a talented prospect would be New Jersey bound too.
It really depends how much value that the Devils place on Kyle Palmieri with his higher point total and power-play skills versus the hitting and penalty-killing abilities of Blake Coleman.
At worst, you’re talking Zach Senyshyn or the slightly more NHL-ready Anders Bjork; the Boston Bruins surely wouldn’t be game to give up Urho Vaakanainen or Jack Studnicka for a 29 year-old.
Missing out on Tyler Toffoli and Blake Coleman certainly adjusts the market for the Boston Bruins, as does the Devils’ dealings already as we near the trade deadline.
Hopefully they land at least one of their targets; although the heavier game of Kreider holds appeal, Kyle Palmieri is less likely to affect the team’s overall chemistry. After all, he naturally plays the right-wing!
Next. The cost of a Chris Kreider trade is too high as a rental. dark
It’s certainly getting interesting right about now. At this rate, we’re in for an exciting trade deadline day!