The Edmonton Oilers have been identified as a potential suitor for Kyle Palmieri of the New York Islanders. He has 15 goals, 20 assists, and 35 points across 54 games this season, but what should fans know beyond his boxcar stats?
I reached out to Hockey Content Creator Mike Bartner, an avid Islanders supporter who expertly covers the team on social media, to gather his thoughts on the forward. If you aren’t familiar with him, he boasts over fifty thousand followers on TikTok, with videos averaging around twenty thousand views each and nearly forty thousand followers on Instagram. Besides focusing on the Islanders, much of his content revolves around general hockey news, ensuring his audience stays informed about NHL news.
What type of forward is Kyle Palmieri?
“Just an aggressive guy who is always crashing the net. He’s still a 25-25-50 kind of forward, for sure.”
He shared with me his feelings on the forward and what a return could look like if the Islanders were to pull the trigger on a trade.
“I do not think the Islanders should trade him due to him being a hometown kid. I think he will take a discount to return on a new contract. If the Islanders do trade him, I expect a 2nd and 3rd, like with the previous Tyler Toffoli trade (Toffoli is better, but less supply this year).
And what should the Islanders’ plan be approaching the NHL trade deadline?
“Without Barzal they should be sellers. But like with Washington last year, they should try to get assets for a retool rather than blowing it up. So sellers on Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri, but if you can use those assets to also get a guy in their 20s that fits the core, go for it.”
The other day, Frank Servalli of Daily Faceoff reported that the Oilers could be a landing spot for Palmieri.
“He’s probably a bit higher-end than the Oilers would be looking to add, but Palmieri as a shooter on Leon Draisaitl’s right flank is something to think about. Are the Oilers on his 16-team no-trade?”
“Palmieri ranks in the 89th percentile in generating shots from the mid-range and 75th percentile in shots from high-danger locations – and those are the types of numbers that could allow a player to net double-digit goals during a deep playoff run. He registered seven goals in 19 games as the Islanders advanced to the Eastern Conference Final in 2021. Over the course of his career, Palmieri has been a relatively consistent scorer in both the regular season (0.298 goals per game) and the playoffs (0.264 goals per game), so it’s fair to expect that consistency to continue.”
While much of the fanbase wants the team to trade for either a goalie or defenceman, it’s no secret the Edmonton Oilers are open to acquiring a forward. According to Elliotte Friedman, they’ve had an eye on Ryan Donato from the Chicago Blackhawks. Whether it’s him or Palmieri, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Oilers add another forward to the lineup as we approach the March 7 trade deadline.
