Kyle Palmieri held out of the lineup for the inevitable trade
Chris Ryan of NJ.com: One of the most precious assets of the NHL Trade Deadline was going to have to be protected. That asset is Kyle Palmieri. Palmieri was scratched on Sunday as the New Jersey Devils faced the Washington Capitals. Palmieri’s agent confirmed this as such quickly after.
Bartlett Hockey produced a quick graphic indicating Palmieri’s goal-scoring abilities to potential teams. Since 2015-16, Kyle Palmieri’s 139 goals are sixth in the NHL, and his ability to hit 25-30 goals a season should entice teams. New Jersey does this often. Taylor Hall, Ben Lovejoy, and Marcus Johansson were all made healthy scratches for days before a trade happened (see 2018-19 trade deadline).
Bill Guerin‘s approach to the NHL Trade Deadline for Minnesota
Scott Burnside of The Athletic: The Minnesota Wild finds themselves in a unique position this trade deadline. Their general manager was a player who has felt the impact of the deadline first-hand. Bill Guerin knows about fit, the pressure, and the expectations better than anyone.
However, he also knew what to expect the second time Guerin was traded. He let go when acquired by Pittsburgh in 2009. Those experiences shape the Minnesota GM now.
“I think what helps me is if it does happen that I’ll be able to put some serious thought into who we’re getting and why we’re getting them and how hard it can be on them. And making sure that we can say, ‘hey, just realize how hard this is going to be for that player.’”
“You see it happen all over. It doesn’t always work out. It’s a really hard thing.”
This deadline will prove to be an interesting one for Guerin as he tries to figure out what his Minnesota Wild are. Do the Wild have the ability to make some noise in the playoffs? Yes. However, the fit and piece(s) will have to be right and this general manager understands nature better than most.