Carolina Hurricanes: Exploring the signing of Kyle Palmieri

While it is no secret that Carolina Hurricanes need to add some punch to their top six, a lot of the great alternatives have come and gone in this free-agent window. Some players have re-signed with old teams. Some have moved on to greener pastures. One player still without a home for next season is former Devils and Islanders winger Kyle Palmieri.

While he’s not going to sound the same as an NHL star, Palmieri is not a bad option in his own reasoning. As a former26th overall pick by the Anaheim Ducks, Palmieri has been a very good middle-six winger for the duration of his career. Specifically in New Jersey, Palmieri really found a home for himself to become what he is known for being.

At 5’11, 190 lbs, Palmieri is far from the biggest guy you’ll ever see take to the ice. He’s not there to play a physical game, he’s there to put the puck in the net. In 612 NHL games, Palmieri has 185 goals and 174 assists for 369 points. While it’s not world-stopping, that gives him an average of a point every other game. Not too bad for a middle-six winger.

Palmieri has bounced around a little bit, moving from the Ducks to the Devils, to the Islanders, and now likely onto the fourth team in his NHL career. This does not mean he is a locker-room issue. In fact, he wore a letter during his time with the New Jersey Devils because of his off-ice leadership and presence in the Devils locker room.

Now, the thing with Palmieri is that he was moved to the Islanders. There’s every chance that Palmieri has already agreed to an extension with the Islanders as I am writing this and that Islanders General Manager Lou Lamoriello is just waiting to announce it because he doesn’t want teams or agents to be able to use the cap space of his team as leverage against him. But not the point.

In the scenario that he is a genuine free agent and that he is willing to sign elsewhere, Carolina makes a lot of sense because it is somewhere that he could go back to competing for the Stanley Cup right away. He would be a big part of the middle six and could be an important player for the team if they ever do reach the summit again.

Palmieri would probably be looking for a long-term deal at this point in his career. When he is on the wrong side of 30, that term becomes dangerous due to the rapid deterioration of players at a later age.. It’s going to be a gamble signing him to any deal that lasts 3 years or longer. However, a 1 or 2 year deal for Palmieri in Carolina would fit like a glove, however unlikely it is.

Alternatively, they could just overpay his ask for a single year to allow the player to chase a cup while still making a suitable amount of money. It will depend on what Palmieri wants. If he wants the money or the ring, only time will tell. He’s in a weird position, and while he probably chooses the money route right now, part of me wonders if he would sign a deal just to chase the Stanley Cup somewhere.

Either way, this is very unlikely, and it’s possible that Palmieri re-signs in New York before this is released, because that is exactly what happens whenever I do one of these.

Question for Cardiac Cane readers: Should the Canes pursue Kyle Palmieri?