NHL

Kyle Palmieri returns to Islanders looking to recapture scoring prowess

Kyle Palmieri’s first full season on Long Island hasn’t gone according to plan. 

The 30-year-old wing, who scored seven goals for the Islanders last postseason after they acquired him from the Devils, had just one goal in his first 25 games this season. Then, he was injured … and stayed injured. 

The lower-body injury, which was originally diagnosed as day-to-day, kept Palmieri out for more than a month. Islanders head coach Barry Trotz remarked at one point that Palmieri’s spot in the lineup could be at risk upon his return. Kieffer Bellows has been productive filling in on the second line, and the Islanders weren’t getting what they needed from Palmeiri. 

On Thursday, however, Palmieri participated in the morning skate and Bellows stayed on with the extras. Later in the day, Palmieri was activated from injured reserve in time for the Islanders’ game against the Kings at UBS Arena. 

Now that Palmieri is back, the Islanders can’t afford for him to take much time to find his scoring touch. 

Kyle Palmieri had just one goal in his first 25 games this season.
Kyle Palmieri had just one goal in his first 25 games this season AP

“Wasn’t getting a lot of production at the start of the year, he wasn’t the only one,” Trotz said. “We had a number of guys that weren’t. But I think with the position I think we have him in, and the impact that he can make, there’s another level in his game.” 

Palmieri has a history of productivity — he was an All-Star in 2019 while with the Devils and he has scored 25 or more goals in a season four times — and the Islanders came into this season expecting him to be a long-term option on the wing. They signed him to a four-year, $20 million deal this offseason, committing a $5 million average annual value on that basis. 

Based on the early returns, that contract looks to be an albatross. But Palmieri will get a chance to turn things around. 

“When he’s at his best, and you saw it in the playoffs, he plays with a little bit of edge,” Trotz said. “He gets to the interior, he’s got a little bit of that sniper mentality, he can shoot the puck, he makes some plays, he can protect pucks. He can have that combination, I wouldn’t say a pure power forward, but I would say a nice little blend of power forward and sniper mentality. When he does that I think he has a lot of impact and he can play a 200-foot game.” 

Jean-Gabriel Pageau said Palmieri didn’t show any outward frustration over his slow start. And the whole team went through adversity at the beginning of the year. 

Kyle Palmieri
Kyle Palmieri was one of the Islanders’ key contributors throughout last year’s playoffs. Getty Images

The Islanders are still dealing with the ramifications of their poor start, which left them clinging by a thread to their playoff hopes. They entered Thursday just one game over .500, at 15-14-6. 

“We definitely need [Palmieri] to be healthy,” Pageau said. “He’s a big part of the team. We all know what he can bring.” 

The numbers suggest Palmeiri should improve. His 1.8 shooting percentage is a career low, and by a lot. Over his career, his next-worst mark is 8.7 percent. He has produced 0.91 individual expected goals per 60 minutes, per Natural Stat Trick, a respectable mark that further suggests a turnaround. 

“He’s a guy that plays with urgency, that’s hard on pucks, wins his battles,” Pageau said. “He’s strong on the puck. Not only defensive but offensively he can bring his touch, he’s got a great shot and great vision. He’s patient with the puck. 

“He’s definitely a guy that’s been missing for us.”