Islanders Acquire Palmieri, Zajac From Devils

Apr 7, 2021

The New York Islanders have acquired forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forwards A.J. Greer, Mason Jobst, the Islanders first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and a conditional fourth round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.  New Jersey agrees to retain 50% of both Palmieri and Zajac’s salaries.

 

Palmieri, born on Long Island in Smithtown, NY, has scored more than 20 goals in each of the last five seasons in New Jersey. In 595 career games with the Devils and Anaheim Ducks, Palmieri has scored 355 points (183 goals and 172 assists).  He’s also scored 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 38 Stanley Cup Playoff games with Anaheim and New Jersey.

 

Palmieri represented New Jersey at the 2019 NHL All-Star Weekend. The 5’11, 185-pound forward was selected in the first round (26th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft by Anaheim. He played three seasons in the American Hockey League with the Ducks affiliates, the Syracuse Crunch and the Norfolk Admirals, scoring 134 points (75 goals and 59 assists) in 148 games.

 

Internationally, Palmieri represented USA Hockey at the 2009-10 (gold) and 2010-11 (gold) World Junior Championships, 2012 World Championships and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He was a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program for two seasons (2007-08 and 2008-09) before attending and playing hockey at the University of Notre Dame in 2009-10.

 

Zajac has 550 career points (202 goals and 348 assists) in 1,024 games, all with New Jersey. Over the course of his NHL career, the Winnipeg, MB native has finished 13 of his 15 seasons with a faceoff percentage of 50% or above. The 6’2, 185-pound center has competed in 57 career Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Devils, scoring 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points. Zajac set New Jersey’s all-time ironman streak of 401 straight games, a run that lasted from 2006-2011. He was selected by New Jersey in the first round (20th overall) in the 2004 NHL Draft.

 

Prior to his career with New Jersey, Zajac played two years of college hockey at the University of North Dakota, helping lead them to the Frozen Four in both seasons.  He was named to the 2005 NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team, the 2005 NCAA East All-Star Tournament Team and the 2005 WCHA All-Rookie Team. In 89 games with the Fighting Sioux, Zajac scored 83 points (35 goals and 48 assists) and averaged over a point per game in his final season, with 47 points in 46 games.