ELMONT, NY — Do not underestimate the power of a fresh start, which is exactly what Ondrej Palat needed after struggling for years with the New Jersey Devils.
The two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning hit a roadblock with the Metropolitan Division club, and those struggles came to a head this season with just four goals and six assists in 51 games. But a lifeline was provided on Tuesday night when his former assistant general manager from Tampa, Mathieu Darche, acquired him to round out his New York Islanders’ attack.
“I think [that a fresh start is important,” Palat said after his first morning skate with his new team on Wednesday. “I obviously had a bad year in Jersey. They traded me, I’m here, I want to be better, help the team to win… I’m glad I’m on this side now, and I’m super excited to be a part of it.”
Palat’s first practice saw him slot in on the second line alongside center Bo Horvat and right-winger Anthony Duclair. The production might suggest that such a spot is warranted, but this is a savvy winger who helped anchor some star-studded lines in Tampa, playing alongside the likes of Nikita Kucherov or Brayden Point.
“I would love to just produce a little bit more than in Jersey,” Palat admitted. “But I’m not here to score 50 goals a season. Just here to bring the two-way game that’s very important in this league and play the right way. Wherever the coach puts me, I will do my best to help the team win.”
It’s that mindset that will help head coach Patrick Roy lengthen his lineup a bit more. After Kyle Palmieri’s season-ending injury in November, New York’s forward depth had been tested, with little resolution on the wings of the bottom six.
Tsyplakov was one of the options who could not secure regular playing time, nor could Kyle MacLean or Marc Gatcomb. Palat will likely maraud throughout the lineup as the Islanders’ playoff push progresses, but his two championships, 155 playoff games, and 103 postseason points are invaluable to bring into a team that was not expected to be here this season.
“He’s a low-maintenance guy,” Darche said of Palat. “He doesn’t worry about who he’s playing with. He’s a competitor, an awesome person, an awesome teammate… I know his character, but he’s not the vocal guy that’s going to scream and jump, but he’s a real pro. He’s got great leadership, he competes every game, even when things were tougher for him in New Jersey when his minutes went down. I was watching the games. He competes. Sometimes veteran guys like that when things don’t go well, they can drag their feet a bit… he was competing the same way, and that shows me that his mindset is in the right spot… he brings that winning pedigree.”
