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One of the biggest off-season priorities for New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero is signing Kyle Palmieri to a contract extension.
Talks have yet to begin, though, as Shero is still overseas at the World Hockey Championships.
Negotiations are expected to begin shortly after Shero returns from the Worlds,
according to ESPN's Craig Custance (paywall).
After acquiring Palmieri for a pair of draft picks the move paid immediate dividends as he was scored 30 goals in his first year as a Devil. Palmieri was one of just 28 players to reach that total in 2015-16.
At just 25 years of age he has his best years ahead of him so there is no reason to hesitate in giving him a long-term deal if the dollars are right.
I don't think I'd be willing to give Palmieri a max-length contract - those are usually reserved for star players - but I think I'd be comfortable giving him a five or six-year deal.
That way the Devils would have a very good goal scorer locked up through the prime of his career. They'd only be committed to him for a year once he gets on the wrong side of 30, so they wouldn't be stuck paying big money to a guy noticeably declining.
Sure, Palmieri only has one big season to his name but his rate stats have always been good and there is no reason to believe he is just a one-and-done player.
If the Devils sign him to a long-term deal now they'd be paying for future performance. If they do a bridge contract, and Palmieri continues to produce, the price will be larger down the road and the Devils would be stuck paying him more for past performance as opposed to what he'll do moving forward.
Giving him a six-year deal in two years, for example, wouldn't be as beneficial as doing it now because the Devils would be paying him from age 27-33 as opposed to 25-31. They're more likely to get full value in the latter range.
I think Ray Shero and the Devils' management are fully aware of that. They should be, anyway.
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