The Ottawa Senators are one of the busiest teams of deadline day, so far. Just moments after trading Vladislav Namestnikov to the Colorado Avalanche, Bob McKenzie of TSN was the first to report that the Senators have traded forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau to the New York Islanders.
Senators Grab Huge Return
Pageau was one of the most intriguing players heading into the trade deadline. He is an Ottawa native who has spent his whole career with his hometown team. There have been a lot of reports that he was trying to work out a long-term contract extension with the Senators, but that never gave to fruition.
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion played his cards close to the vest and obviously was not willing to pay Pageau his price. He decided to move on and his getting quite the haul for the 27-year-old center.
The Islanders are sending a conditional first-round and a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft as well as a conditional third-round pick in 2021. The first-round pick is top-three protected, but if the Islanders make the playoffs that will not come into play. The third-round pick is conditioned on if whether or not the Islanders win the Stanley Cup; if they don’t, the pick goes back to Islanders.
As of now, the Senators have 14 picks in this June’s draft, including three in the first round. Two of them will be lottery picks with their won and the pick they got from the San Jose Sharks in the Erik Karlsson trade. Those to two picks could potentially both land in the top five, which will jumpstart a rebuilding process.
Islanders Landing a “Trotz Guy”
Pageau is in the final year of his current contract and he is looking to hit it big in free agency with a career-best season. His 24 goals are already the most he’s scored in his career. He is eight assists away from tying his career-high set during the 2015-16 season. His 40 points are three points shy of his high-water mark, also set during 2015-16.
The Islanders are right in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. They currently hold the top wild card spot with 76 points but are two points away from being out of the postseason altogether. They still have a shot at getting one of the Metropolitan Division playoff spots as they are just one point behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third place.
Pageau is not a superstar player, but he will fit perfectly with Barry Trotz and the Islanders. He’s a character guy who brings leadership on and off of the ice. He can play up and down the lineup, so Trotz will have plenty of options and he should be a nice addition to their penalty kill unit.
Some feel that the big price given up shows that general manager Lou Lamoriello thinks he can sign Pageau long-term after the season. That storyline will have to wait until July 1. In the meantime, the Islanders have added a nice piece to help secure them a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Stay updated on all of today’s moves with our 2020 Trade Deadline: Deal Tracker.