Devils hold Palmieri out in anticipation of possible trade

The New Jersey Devils kept forward Kyle Palmieri out of the lineup Sunday afternoon against the Washington Capitals for precautionary reasons, the team announced.

The move was made in anticipation of a deal ahead of the April 12 trade deadline, his agency, Bartlett Hockey, confirmed. Palmieri is projected to be one of the top forwards available.

The 30-year-old has one year remaining on his current deal and carries a cap hit of $4.65 million.

Palmieri has spent the past six seasons with New Jersey. Since his arrival in 2015, he leads the club with 140 goals and 266 points over 397 games.