In a little over a month, when the puck drops on the 2014-2015 NHL season, the Anaheim Ducks will look very different.
Yes: Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry will lead the way, but they will have some new star power up front. And with the legend Teemu Selanne calling it a career, the Ducks will turn to different players to pick up his goal totals.
One of the players the Ducks should be able to turn to is Kyle Palmieri. With all the moves during the off-season and contract talks between the numerous RFAs, Palmieri has been lost in the shuffle. While flying under the radar in the offseason may lead to lower expectations, the Ducks need Palmieri to produce. He will be counted on as a key member to the Ducks’ success this season.
Palmieri is a former 1st round pick who was selected 26th overall by Anaheim in the 2009 draft. He was a star for the U.S National Team Development Program (USNTDP), amassing 92 points in 106 total games (including the World Junior Championships). Palmieri also played a season of collegiate hockey for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2009-2010, scoring nine goals and 17 total points in that season.
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Following that season, Palmieri inked his deal with the Ducks and turned pro. He only played sparingly in the NHL, spending most of his time down in the AHL until the 12-13’ season. For the lockout shortened season, the Ducks thought it was time to give him a shot, and he played 42 of the 48 regular season games along with the seven post-season games.
In his first “full” season in the NHL, Palmieri posted 21 points, including ten goals. He also chalked up three goals and five points in the playoffs against Detroit. 2013-2014 would be Palmieri’s first true full season in the NHL. In 71 games, Palmieri racked up 31 points and then backed up his regular season with three more goals in the postseason. However, he only appeared in nine of the 13 playoff games.
Palmieri’s biggest problem is consistency. He has one of the quickest releases in the game, and he shoots the puck with authority. However, Palmieri can suffer through just as many scoring droughts as he does hot streaks. If Palmieri wants to become the star he is capable of, he needs to rectify that problem.
Palmieri has played all over the Ducks line-up, including a stint on the top line with Getzlaf and Perry. However, chemistry has really eluded Palmieri: that is something both the coaching staff and he need to rectify. Finding the right spot for him is key. On paper, I expect Palmieri and new Duck Ryan Kesler to develop chemistry together. Kesler should win a majority of his face-offs and will get the puck to a speedy sniper like Palmieri.
Palmieri, also like Kesler, isn’t afraid to muck it up in the corners and dirty areas where he can engage in puck battles. That will lead to wearing opposing teams down, controlling the puck more, and putting the puck in the net. Those are all areas the Ducks need to be better on: if this line can provide the same type of play the top line does, the Ducks become so much more dangerous as a team.
This is the year that Palmieri needs to take a step forward and become a consistent star for the Ducks. He is signed at $1.46 million for the next two years and becomes a RFA after the 2016-17 season. He needs to live up to that money and be a scoring threat night in and night out. He has shown flashes of the potential he has, and if he reaches that level, the Ducks will have another star on their hands.
If Palmieri puts it all together this season, I will be the first to say it. He has the tools and skillset to be a 30 goal scorer this season.
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