Player Preview: Kyle Palmieri
By Jason Byun
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
Weaknesses:
Kyle Palmieri’s biggest issue is that he lacks game-to-game consistency, which is the biggest thing keeping him from being a mainstay as a top-six forward in the NHL. The inconsistency, especially near the end of the regular season, contributed to his being a healthy scratch for the end of the Dallas series and beginning of the Los Angeles series. Palmieri needs to become a more consistent scorer in the NHL: he scores goals in bunches, but he also has extended scoring droughts.
He also needs to further develop his two-way game: he’s not defensively irresponsible, but can definitely improve. He puts a lot of his aggression on the offensive end and hitting, but not so much on actual defense and positioning. Palmieri is also a bit small by NHL standards. That’s not necessarily a limitation, but his durability will be questioned with him going against bigger players constantly, especially in the Pacific Division.