The New Jersey Devils are open to making some moves this season, especially after failing to trade for superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes. One name that has drawn some attention is veteran winger Ondrej Palat. The two-time Stanley Cup champion has not had a great tenure in New Jersey. And on Tuesday night, it appeared as if his run with the Devils was nearing an end.
Palat was held out of the lineup on Tuesday, the Devils confirmed. What has sparked discussion is the reason for the move. New Jersey says Palat is being held out for “roster management reasons.” Palat has already left the arena, according to Stephen Whyno of AP News.
The veteran winger joined the Devils ahead of the 2022-23 season. He was coming off a strong tenure with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he was a consistent middle-six point producer. He was an excellent player in the postseason, scoring 48 goals and 94 points for the Bolts across 138 playoff games.
Unfortunately, Palat has struggled since pulling on a Devils sweater. He has only scored more than 30 points once in three full seasons in New Jersey. And this year, he's on pace to score fewer than 20 points.
New Jersey is in an extremely tough roster bind. They have handed out more no-trade and no-movement protections than any team in the league. This has made it difficult to pursue the sort of upgrades they've needed to stay competitive. Palat is one player with those protections, owning both a full no-movement and a modified no-trade clause.
It seems as if the Devils have worked something out with the veteran winger, however. A split could be what both sides need at this time. It will certainly be interesting to see how this situation unfolds over the next few days.
