NY Islanders Plus/Minus for 2023-24: Kyle Palmieri Needs To Stay Healthy

In hockey fandom, narratives tend to stick around for a while. Fans have long memories, and once a player gets a reputation, it can be hard to shake it.

For example, when Kyle Palmieri was traded to the Islanders at the 2020-21 trade deadline, he scored two goals in 17 games. That's really bad. But sometimes, it feels like the fanbase is still stuck in the past.

When people talk about the Islanders' supposedly awful cap situation, Palmieri's contract is always one of the first that's brought up. You would think he was Andrew Ladd with (thankfully gone now) $5 million of completely dead cap. But Palmieri has been a solid performer since his first full season on Long Island, and he should continue to improve.

That's not to say he's perfect, of course - there are things he needs to work on, and we'll get to that in the minus section. But, please, indulge me in a brief defense of Kyle Palmieri.