Revisiting The Ondřej Palát Trade Between The Devils & Islanders

In the 2022 offseason, the New Jersey Devils signed Ondřej Palát to a five-year contract, hoping he’d take them up a notch. The veteran forward from the Tampa Bay Lightning, with two Stanley Cup titles, was the kind of player a young, rebuilding team wanted in its middle six.

Palát’s skills never translated. He scored 38 goals and 55 assists in 248 games, and whether it was the Jack Hughes line, the Nico Hischier line, or the bottom six, he never fit in. That five-year contract with a $6 million average annual value became more of a liability than a luxury.

Eventually, the Devils moved on, trading Palát to the New York Islanders. There’s a common belief that teams avoid making deals with…