Ondrej Palat a Healthy Scratch for “Roster Reasons” - Trade Winds Swirling in New Jersey
When the New Jersey Devils hit the ice for warmups Tuesday night, there was a notable absence: veteran winger Ondrej Palat. Minutes later, the team confirmed he’d be held out for “roster-related reasons.” And in the NHL, that phrase tends to carry a very specific subtext - especially this close to the trade deadline.
While most of the trade chatter around the Devils has focused on Dougie Hamilton and his $9 million cap hit, Palat’s name hasn’t been circulating with the same frequency. But if history is any guide, a player getting scratched for roster reasons - without injury or illness - typically signals that a deal is in the works or nearing completion.
We saw it just last night. The Rangers held defenseman Carson Soucy out of the lineup, and hours later he was on his way to the Islanders in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. That kind of timeline doesn’t happen unless talks are already well down the road.
For Palat, this moment has been brewing for a while. Since signing with New Jersey in the summer of 2022 - after the Devils missed out on Johnny Gaudreau - he’s struggled to live up to the expectations that came with his $6 million AAV contract.
In Tampa Bay, he was a reliable second-line scorer, averaging 0.59 points per game. But in New Jersey, that number has dipped significantly - down over 37% to just 0.37 points per game.
This season, he’s managed only 10 points in 51 games, the lowest scoring pace of his career.
It’s not that Palat hasn’t brought value in other ways. Inside the Devils’ locker room, he’s been praised as a veteran presence, a guy who’s been through deep playoff runs and knows how to lead by example. But when your cap hit is that high, and your production is that low, teams start looking hard at the cost-benefit equation - especially when the playoff picture is murky.
And for New Jersey, it’s murky. The Devils sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division, five points back of the Islanders for the final divisional playoff spot.
According to Moneypuck, their playoff chances are down to just 19.9%. If they’re going to make a push - whether for a playoff spot or a more long-term roster shakeup - they’ll need financial flexibility.
Moving Palat would be a big step in that direction.
He’s still under contract for one more season after this one, so this wouldn’t just be a rental dump. It would be a strategic cap-clearing move. And with the deadline looming, the Devils know they’re on the clock.
One team to keep an eye on? The Islanders.
There’s a potential connection there - Mathieu Darche, now part of the Islanders’ front office, worked with Palat during their shared time in Tampa Bay. That familiarity could help grease the wheels if New York is looking to add a battle-tested winger for their own playoff push.
For now, nothing’s official. But when a veteran gets scratched without warning this time of year, it usually means something’s coming. And for the Devils - a team trying to find its identity and its footing - that something might be the start of a much-needed roster reset.