Devils general manager Ray Shero intends to sign Palmieri, a pending restricted free agent, to a long-term deal, Steve Politi of The Record reports. "I look forward to signing him to a longer term contract, if that's possible, and if that's not possible

Devils general manager Ray Shero intends to sign Palmieri, a pending restricted free agent, to a long-term deal, Steve Politi of The Record reports. "I look forward to signing him to a longer-term contract, if that's possible, and if that's not possible, he has arbitration rights," Shero said. "We're going to get a contract one way or another."

Analysis:

Palmieri banked $1.46 million in 2015-16, the last of a three-year deal originally procured by the Ducks. But he showed he's worth much more paper while breaking out in a major way this season, reaching the 30-goal mark to complement 27 helpers. The Devils are one of the oldest teams in the league, but Palmieri, who played in all 82 games, is just 25 years old and is an ideal player to build around. Even with him, the Devils were dead last in scoring, so it's no wonder that Shero's priority is re-signing the talented winger.