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The New Jersey Devils are gearing up for a strong comeback in the 2024-25 season after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign. Despite reaching the second round of the playoffs in 2023, they failed to build on that success and didn’t even qualify for the postseason this past spring.
However, with notable additions like the acquisition of goaltender Jacob Markstrom in a trade with the Calgary Flames and new head coach Sheldon Keefe behind the bench, the prevailing thought is that the Devils should have no problem earning a postseason berth in the spring of 2025.
But while the Devils boast talent including the likes of Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Jesper Bratt, one figure on their roster hasn't lived up to the expectations that came with his hefty contract.
Forward Ondrej Palat, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Tampa Bay Lightning who was lured to the Devils with a five-year, $30 million in the summer of 2022, has vastly underperformed and looked like a shell of his former self.
And while Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald hasn't shown any indication that he's willing to buy out the remaining years of Palat's deal despite his struggles, the team would be better suited if they were able to find a taker for him and get something back in return.
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Devils F Ondrej Palat has not lived up to expectations
A native of Frýdek-Místek, Czechoslovakia, Palat was originally selected with the 208th overall pick by the Lightning in the 2011 NHL Draft. He began his professional career in his homeland with HC Frýdek-Míste before moving to North America and playing with the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL.
He made the Lightning roster for the 2013-14 NHL season, and alongside teammate Tyler Johnson, they became the first pair of teammates to be nominated for the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie since Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007-08.
He quickly became one of Tampa's most consistent offensive performers, especially during their multiple postseason runs. However, after completing his contract extension with the Lightning, he opted to bring his talents to the Devils—though his tenure so far has been far from remarkable.
An injury-plagued first year with the Devils yielded only eight goals and 15 assists in 49 games, though he did improve his performance in the postseason with three goals and four assists in 12 games.
But in 71 games played in 2023-24, he scored only 11 goals with 20 assists – nowhere near the kind of production that they anticipated.
The Lightning would be wise to explore trading Palat in hopes of acquiring valuable resources in return. While many believe his contract makes this unrealistic, don't be so sure.
A notable offseason trade involving an underperforming player with a large contract has already occurred, as the Los Angeles Kings dealt Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Washington Capitals after just one year of his eight-year extension; they received goaltender Darcy Kuemper in return.
Ondrej Palat and the Devils will play in Czechia
In the meantime, Palat and the Devils are set to take on the Buffalo Sabres regular season in Prague at at O2 Arena in a back-to-back series on October 4 and 5 as part of the 2024 NHL Global Series.
Needless to say, Palat is excited for the opportunity to play an NHL game in his native country.
“At Worlds, it was a little bit different because everyone was cheering for Czech,” Palat said. “Now it'll be two teams but hopefully there will be more Devils fans, but everybody wants to have fun. There's going to be a lot of jumping, a lot of screaming, so it's a little bit different, but everybody will enjoy it.”
Following Friday night's exhibition matchup against the New York Islanders, the Devils will take on their historic rival New York Rangers on Monday night.
