Kyle Palmieri

The Islanders handed Palmieri a new four-year, $20 million contract prior to the start of last season and he responded with just 15 goals in 69 games, including one lone tally in New York's final dozen games. Perhaps most concerning of all was Palmieri's lack of usage with the man advantage. He averaged just 1:37 of power-play time per game, down from 2:15 per contest in 2020-21. The Islanders play a defensive style of hockey, hoping to win games 2-1 or 3-2. That can make it extremely difficult for a guy like Palmieri - who spent a good chunk of last season on the third line - to generate any sort of consistent offense. You can do better in your draft this fall.

Going nowhere and with a pending unrestricted free agent on their hands, the Devils shipped Palmieri to the rival Islanders in early April. Palmieri's production upon arrival was extremely minimal, as he posted just two goals and four points in 17 regular-season games. He was slightly better in the playoffs with seven goals and nine points in 15 games, although Palmieri was completely shut out in New York's seven-game loss to the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Semifinal. With a new four-year, $20 million contract in place with the Islanders, Palmieri should be good for 20-plus goals and 40-plus points in 2021-22.

Like clockwork, Palmieri delivered yet another 20-goal season in 2019-20. That marked his fifth straight campaign with at least 24 goals and the fourth time he's led the Devils in scoring in the last five years. He's one of the league's most underrated wingers, especially when considering he's never played with a center who's scored more than 60 points. The 29-year-old American is an elite finisher with a high ceiling who can always be counted on to score 20-plus goals, but anything more than that will likely boil down to how the Devils' young centers progress in their development. Palmieri's low-key profile often leads to him falling into the later rounds of fantasy drafts, so he's got all the makings of a high-value pick in 2020-21.

You know what you're getting with Palmieri, who has averaged 26.8 goals and 51 points over the past four seasons while not drifting away from those averages by more than three goals or seven points. He's a robust power-play contributor, having scored exactly 11 goals with the extra man three times in that span while averaging 20.8 points. With first overall pick Jack Hughes and trade acquisition P.K. Subban set to join a top power-play unit that also features 2018 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall, Palmieri's ceiling with the extra man has grown while his overall floor remains high.

Palmieri does his best work on the power play, where he's accumulated 30 goals and 65 points in three seasons since joining the Devils. He came up just six points shy of topping 50 for the third consecutive campaign despite missing 20 games last season, so Palmieri's far from a one-trick pony. The former Ducks forward is unlikely to approach Taylor Hall's offensive production, but one of Palmieri and Nico Hischier will almost certainly finish as New Jersey's second-leading scorer.

New Jersey’s leading goal-scorer for two years running has been lethal with the extra man, but Palmieri still has untapped potential at even strength. Nineteen of the 26-year-old winger’s 56 goals over the past two seasons have come on the power play, and Palmieri's 23 power-play assists in that span show that he’s a capable set-up man despite never topping 27 helpers in a season overall. He has also proven to be an excellent two-way forward after being one of only two players to maintain a positive rating while playing more than 32 games for last year’s bottom-dwelling Devils team. There’s a case to be made that the only thing separating Palmieri from elite status has been subpar linemates, but that shouldn't be a problem this season with first overall pick Nico Hischier projected to fill the gaping center hole between Palmieri and Taylor Hall.

A disappointment in Anaheim after being drafted in the first round in 2009, Palmieri’s found a much more welcoming home on the other side of the country. The New York native’s stock is on the rise following a breakout 30-goal campaign in his first season with New Jersey, as he finally assumed a premier role for the Devils that ended up including 11 goals and 23 points on the power play. Palmieri should find even more open ice this season, as he projects to skate on an improved top line alongside Adam Henrique and the newly acquired Taylor Hall. His modest 27 assists and plus-3 rating from a year ago could both be on the rise if that talented trio can gel.

The Ducks traded Palmieri to the Devils in late June for a second-round pick, and in his new locale, the winger figures to take on a more featured role than was possible on the deeper Anaheim roster. The 24-year-old has notched double-digit goals in each of his three full NHL seasons, and should be a useful acquisition for a team that is starving for offensive production from its forwards. While he found twine 14 times in 57 regular-season games for the Ducks last season, Palmieri struggled to make him mark in the playoffs, prompting the Ducks to write him off as an expendable piece. With a top-six role likely awaiting him in New Jersey and almost certainly, a sizeable uptick in the 14:05 average ice time he saw in 2014-15, the question isn't if Palmieri will be able to match last season's point production, but whether he'll be able to stay on the ice frequently enough to be the 40- or 50-point player the Devils need him to be. A high-ankle sprain and a shoulder injury resulted in two trips to injured reserve last season, so good health is far from a guarantee.

Palmieri put up career highs in both goals (14) and assists (17) this past season and should continue this upward trend in the years to come. But for now, he’s stuck behind Corey Perry and Jakob Silfverberg on the Ducks’ starboard side. He’ll probably score 35-40 points this season and take a jump in production next year.

Palmieri registered 10 goals and 11 assists in his 42 games last season and looks to build on that in 2013-14. He certainly has shown he can score in the minors and the Ducks need that to balance out their attack. He may be small, but he gets what it takes to play in a big-man's game. And he knows where his own zone is, too. That's a combination that could lead to a 40 to 45 point (or slightly more) breakout this year. Put his name on that little list of sleepers you file away in your smartphone and be ready to scoop him away from your unsuspecting leaguemates. Hey -- in a couple of years, you could be looking at a 65-plus point dynamo. Keeper leaguers, rejoice.

This is Palmieri's year. The Ducks need depth and he's shown a scorer's touch in the AHL. He's small, but he plays a strong, two-way game, always keeps his feet churning and his hands are oh-so-soft. There aren't really any holes in his game and he should step into a full-time role as the Ducks third-line center for 2012-13. He could also get his feet wet on the team's second power-play unit. Don't expect fireworks -- just sturdy, gritty play. But before long, he'll assume Saku Koivu's role as the team's second-line center and that's when we could see the 60-point production.

The 20-year-old Palmieri is another player in a long line of Ducks prospects looking to impress this year. The winger appeared in just 10 games with the Ducks last year, scoring one goal and finishing with a minus-1 rating. As a first-round pick in 2009, Palmieri will try to find a spot on the fourth line to start the season and work his way up. In 2010-11, Palmieri led the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch with 29 goals and ended the season with 15 goals over the final 14 games.

This guy is interesting -- he's an annoying shift disturber with skills that could elevate him to the top-six in the NHL. He has great wheels and can blow by defenders on the outside. And he sends guys through the boards on the forecheck. He's headed to Notre Dame but his style will pull him to the pros before his four years are done.