Kyle Palmieri will always be the first. He was the first player that Ray Shero stole from another team and turned into a star. When the New Jersey Devils acquired him from the Anaheim Ducks, he was a guy who could score 15 goals but couldn’t stay healthy. Shero sent two picks to the Ducks to give him a bigger role, and he thrived.
Palmieri scored 30 goals in his first season, and led the Devils last year with 26 goals. He was a scoring machine that scored when the team needed it most.
This year, on the other hand, Palmieri has disappeared in the biggest moments.