Re-Grading Ondrej Palat Trade for NY Islanders

What grade should the New York Islanders receive looking back on the Ondrej Palat trade after a half of season?

Mar 21, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New York Islanders left wing Ondrej Palat (81) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders have entered a new era with a lot of changes both in the front office and the coaching staff. Now, as the team tries to navigate it all, one of their recent decisions made by the new regime has aged poorly. 

After landing Matthew Schaefer with the first overall pick last summer, the outlook for the Islanders changed quite a bit. This was a team that was expected to go into a rebuild following a veteran core that was very successful for a stretch, getting older. 

However, the emergence of Schaefer as one of the best young defensemen in the league changed things quickly. New York was a semi-buyer at the trade deadline, adding some veteran players to the mix. 

Unfortunately, they did fall short of making the playoffs, and now some of the moves that they made have turned out to be regrettable. One of the most notable decisions that has aged poorly was the trade for Ondrej Palat. 

Re-Grading Palat Trade: D+ 

Feb 26, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New York Islanders left wing Ondrej Palat (81) skates against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period at Bell Centre. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While this deal could easily be seen as an F right now based on the production, the Islanders did receive two draft picks for Palat, one of which was a third-round selection. 

In what was very much a cap dump move for the Devils, the Islanders took on the bad contract of Palat, but they likely regret it. Even though they got some draft capital back, having him on the books right now at $6 million for next season really impacted their salary cap in a negative way. 

This offseason, New York could have used the money that they are spending on Palat elsewhere. The Islanders saw their captain, Anders Lee, who was far more productive than Palat, leave for right around that number. 

Last year, the veteran skater was largely a non-factor for New York after coming over. In 29 games with the Islanders, he totaled just five points with one goal and four assists. 

This level of production was certainly disappointing to see, especially considering how much he is making. As the team heads into next season, Palat will likely be on the fourth line for New York. 

Making $6 million for next year and being on the fourth line for the team, he will certainly be seen as one of the worst contracts in hockey. Overall, while this deal could easily be an F, perhaps the third-round pick they received will become a good player.