Kings Amongst Handful Of Teams To Show Interest In Islanders Kyle Palmieri

The New York Islanders have yet to let the rest of the NHL know what their plans are at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. 

But that doesn't mean teams haven't called to inquire about certain players. 

All eyes are on pending unrestricted free agent Brock Nelson, who would be the No. 1 option on the trade market if they made him available, which they have yet to do.

The belief is that the Islanders are trying to extend Nelson, which sounds mutual, but the terms Nelson and his camp seek for his last big NHL contract may be too rich for Long Island. 

If a deal can't be worked out by March 7th's deadline, seeing Nelson wearing a different jersey on March 8th is the likely case. 

Despite being in the shadows of Nelson for the moment, the Islanders' other pending unrestricted free agent forward Kyle Palmieri has drawn interest from a handful of teams. 

Palmieri, who has four goals over his last five games, has 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points in 58 games. He carries a cap hit of $5 million and is worth, at least, a second-round pick, maybe more depending on the team. 

He does have a 16-team modified no-trade clause. 

It sounds like there's mutual interest between the Islanders and Palmieri on an extension.

However, if that doesn't happen, there's a clear market. 

I've heard that the Los Angeles Kings have inquired, along with a few other teams.  

Rumors have been swirling about the Kings' interest in Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch, who has one more season left on his deal. 

The Vegas Golden Knights have also been scouting the Sabres heavily as of late, per Jeff Marek.

Tuch makes complete sense for the Kings the same way Palmieri does.

"LA has been looking for a right-shot winger for a while, and that they don't grow on trees," I was told, adding that Palmieri makes a ton of sense.

The belief is that Palmieri can garner a second-round pick and potentially a mid-level prospect, depending on the team and if and how much, if any, salary is retained on a deal. 

The Kings currently have $3.779 million in available cap space, so they'd have to either create some additional space or have the Islanders retain close to 50%. 

Would the Kings part with defenseman Jordan Spence, a pending restricted free agent with a cap hit of $1.5 million, to make the money work better? Or what about former Islanders draft pick defenseman Kyle Burroughs, a pending unrestricted free agent with a $1.1 million cap hit?

Do the Islanders need more defensemen after acquiring three in a week span with Noah Dobson back and Mike Reilly getting closer?

The Kings do not have a 2025 second-round pick, but they do have one in 2026 and 2027.

It's worth mentioning that the Kings have been running 11 forwards and seven defensemen often. 

Other teams interested in Islanders' No. 21 include the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets. 

The Avalanche, who are currently sitting in the top wild-card spot, have $4.761 million to play with and do have their 2025 second-round pick. They're always a team looking to add. 

The Jets, who just snapped a 10-game winning streak, are the best team in the NHL and have $9.674 million in cap space. 

Winnipeg would likely want a center if they can get one, but Palmieri would certainly bolster their winger depth. 

Prospect Brad Lambert, the nephew of former Islanders head coach Lane Lambert, would likely be in play for Nelson but not likely for Palmieri on his own. 

Like the Kings, the Jets don't have a second-round pick, but they have one in 2026 and 2027. 

I had heard earlier in the season that the Dallas Stars had an interest in Palmieri. But they did upgrade their forward group with the addition of Mikael Granlund from the San Jose Sharks. He just had a heck of a 4 Nations tournament with three goals and an assist for four points in three games with Team Finland. 

Everyone is waiting for the Islanders to make a decision on Nelson, with that decision likely having major effects on Palmieri's future on Long Island. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

RELATED STORIES