NEWARK, NJ — Ondrej Palat won the Stanley Cup two times with the Tampa Bay Lightning while playing alongside forward Nikita Kucherov. So when he says his new teammate on the New Jersey Devils, Jack Hugheshas the same qualities as his former linemate and the 2018-19 NHL MVP, it’s significant.
“Jack actually reminds me a lot of ‘Kuch.’ … A lot of skills, he works a lot after practice, too,” Palat said Monday. “He likes to do the extra skill stuff that star players and superstars do a lot. I definitely see it in him since I had a chance to play with him in a couple of preseason games and, definitely, he has that.
“He has that thing that he can take the next step and have a really, really good season and lead this team.”
Before signing a five-year, $30 million contract ($6 million average annual value) with the Devils on July 14, Palat played his first 10 NHL seasons with the Lightning, winning the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021. His linemates in Tampa Bay included Kucherov, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkosso he knows the makeup of championship players and coaches.
“So far in training camp, I see a lot of hunger from the guys to reach the extra level they were missing,” Palat said. “I think the focus is to follow the system, play better defense than they did last season. We need to take care of our own end because we are a skilled enough group to score goals. We’re going to score, but we need to help our goalies protect the net.
“Everybody has to accept that role that the coaching staff will give them.”
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Palat is expected to be a complementary piece alongside either Hughes or center Nico Hischier this season.
Hughes, who was the no. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft had 56 points (26 goals, 30 assists) last season despite being limited to 49 regular-season games due to injury. He also led the Devils in points-per-game (1.14), power-play goals (six) and shooting percentage (15.8; minimum 10 games played) and ranked first among New Jersey forwards in average ice time (19:34).
Hischier, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, had an NHL career high in goals (21), assists (39) and points (60) in 70 games last season.
Hughes said he knew what Palat was about even before he signed with New Jersey.
“I was really familiar with [Palat’s] game, and the fact he went to the Stanley Cup Final four times (also 2015, 2022), you’re always watching the big games,” Hughes said. “I know he’s played with Kucherov and Stamkos for the better part of 10 years. . He’s a guy that makes good players better, and he complements them really well.
“He’s a great player in his own right, but I’m sure he’ll be a really good linemate for me or Nico, whoever it may be, and help elevate our games, too.”
Palat has 423 points (143 goals, 280 assists) in 628 NHL regular-season games, and 94 points (48 goals, 46 assists) in 138 postseason games.
Hughes was humbled when informed of Palat’s Kucherov comparison.
“Kuch had one of the best years of any guy in the NHL … that MVP year with 128 points, so it’s hard to sit here and compare yourself to a player like that,” Hughes said. “But it’s great to hear it from [Palat]. I know we’ve had some good talks. I think very highly of him, and I think he really respects me, as well.
“I think we’re both really excited to get after it together. It’s a new challenge for him, and we’re looking to make a move. So it’s cool, but I got a lot of work to do.”
Hughes has been playing center with either Palat or Yegor Sharangovich at left wing during the preseason. Coach Lindy Ruff said the line combinations remain fluid, particularly since Hischier (hamstring strain) may not be ready for the start of the regular season.
“I think you’re looking for a line that has some chemistry, that plays well in all three zones, but we know the offense that Jack can bring, so we’re looking for somebody that’s going to shoot a puck with him,” Ruff said.
Palat is optimistic that with good health and support in all areas of the ice, the Devils can turn things around this season. New Jersey has qualified for the playoffs once in the past 10 seasons (2018).
“In Tampa, we just learned how to win and that even when we’re down, you can’t get away from your game… from playing good defense,” he said. “We never strayed from our system, even when we were down. That’s when the wins started coming. It’s the coach’s job is to give us the system. Our job is to follow that system, be consistent with it, and trust that system. We did it (in Tampa Bay), and that led to our success.”
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