BLOG: Devils Make Deal With Islanders

NEWARK, N.J. - The New Jersey Devils today traded center Travis Zajac and right wing Kyle Palmieri to the New York Islanders in exchange for the Islanders first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, a conditional fourth-round choice in the 2022 NHL Draft and forwards A.J. Greer and Mason Jobst. New Jersey will retain 50% of both Zajac and Palmieri's salaries in the transaction.
Greer, 24, is a 6'3", 205lb. left wing currently playing with Bridgeport (AHL) where he has one goal and one assist in ten games. In 37 career NHL contests, Greer has one goal and five assists. He was Colorado's second-round selection and 39th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. Greer finished sixth in scoring (16g-16g-32pts) with the Colorado Rampage of the AHL last season and second in scoring (19g-25a-44pts) in his rookie year of 2018-19. Jobst, 27, is a 5'8," 185lb. forward who has two assists in six games with Bridgeport. Both Greer and Jobst will report to Binghamton.

New Jersey now has nine picks in the 2021 NHL Draft. The club has its own picks in rounds one, three, four and six; the New York Islanders selections in rounds one and two; Buffalo's fifth-round pick and Arizona's third and seventh-round selections.

Zajac, 35, was New Jersey's first-round selection and 20th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. In 15 seasons, all with New Jersey, he appeared in 1,024 games scoring 202 goals and 348 assists for 550 points while registering 344 penalty minutes. Zajac appeared in his 1,000th career NHL game on February 21 at Washington, becoming just the fourth player in franchise history to achieve that mark. His games-played total ranks fourth in franchise history, goal total ranks tied for third, assist total is fifth and points rank third. Zajac is due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Palmieri, 30, has spent the last six seasons with New Jersey after being acquired on June 26, 2015 from Anaheim for New Jersey's second-round choice in the 2015 NHL draft and third-round choice in the 2016 NHL Draft. In 397 games with New Jersey, he scored 140 goals and 126 assists for 266 points while registering 216 penalty minutes and represented the Devils at the 2019 All-Star Game in San Jose. Palmieri is due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.