Anaheim Ducks Player Grades: Kyle Palmieri
Nov 14, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Kyle Palmieri (21) shoots against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
This season was Kyle Palmieri‘s first full season at the NHL level. Expectations for Palmieri coming in were pretty high.
With Bobby Ryan gone, a spot was open on the top line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Palmieri was going to be one of the players the Ducks were going to look forward to seeing take that spot. Also, the Ducks were going to have to make up for Bobby’s production, which is where he would be asked to help out.
Regular Season
January 12, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Kyle Palmieri (21) moves the puck against the Detroit Red Wings during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Palmieri got off to a slow start. In October, he had just five points and in November, he only had three. While the Ducks were scoring almost at will early on in the season, Palmieri was struggling to just play even hockey. It is known he is a more offensive-minded player, but seeing as he was a -4 after two months on this team is a bit disturbing.
In previous years with the Ducks, Palmieri has been known to score in bunches. Around mid-December and into January, that finally started to happen. In four games from 12/15-12/21, he registered two goals and three assists, and was a +4. Then, in the month of January, Palmieri posted eight points in 10 games. For the rest of the season, points came sporadically. He would finish the regular season with just four more goals, six more assists, and 10 more points than he did last year, in 29 more games.
Regular Season Stats:
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 9 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Regular Season Grade: C
Playoffs
Apr 21, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Kyle Palmieri (21) and Dallas Stars defenseman Jordie Benn (24) during the game in the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. The Stars shut out the Ducks 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
During the Ducks’ playoff run, Palmieri’s struggles from the regular season seemed to carry over.
After scoring a goal in Game 1 of the first round, Palmieri would go pointless over the next three games and was -2. Much like his teammates, Palmieri lost his cool in the middle of the series against the Dallas Stars. For this, he was benched for Game 5 and 6 of the series, as well as Game 1 and 2 of the next round against the Los Angeles Kings.
You could blame the benching on Bruce Boudreau just trying to find the right mix, but there’s no denying that Palmieri was off his game. He scored a goal in Game 6 and 7 of the second round, but the team as a whole was not good enough to take that series.
Playoff Stats:
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Playoff Grade: C
Future
Nov 14, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Kyle Palmieri (21) passes the puck as Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr (62) defends during the third period at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
I still think Palmieri has a bright future in this league, but I feel like he took a small step backward this season. He averaged slightly less time on ice this year than he did last year, and that went down even more during the playoffs this season.
As the season went along he was able to fix his poor +/- rating from the first two months. So, he righted his two-play ship during the course of the season. It’s just that he needs to be more consistent offensively.
The month of January seems to be a good place to start looking for a career. Eight points in 10 games results in a 65 point season. If that is a hot streak for Palmieri, maybe he could become a 50-55 point per season player.
With his offensive talent, that could be a possibility, with some improve to his play. However, with the re-emergence of Devante Smith-Pelly, the right wing is becoming a little more crowded.