The New York Islanders will return from the Olympic break in third place in the Metropolitan Division. A surge from the Columbus Blue Jackets has closed the gap, but the Isles still control their destiny. With the NHL trade deadline just weeks away, the Islanders must trade JG Pageau, even if they are in the playoff race.
Pageau is one of two key Islanders forwards hitting free agency at the end of the season. The other one is Anders Lee, who is the team captain and a career-long member of the team. If the Islanders are going to trade anyone, it is likely to be Pageau. They traded for him at the 2020 deadline and gave him a five-year extension.
No one, including the team itself, was expecting the Islanders to make a playoff run this season. After trading Brock Nelson at last year's deadline, they won the draft lottery and selected Matthew Schaefer. The emergence of Schaefer has pushed them into the playoffs, but that doesn't mean GM Mathieu Darche should veer off the path.
There are two different ways for the Islanders to trade Pageau at the deadline. They could sell him to a contender for draft picks and/or prospects, just like they did with Nelson a year ago. Or they could use Pageau to clear space for a long-term piece, which would be an expensive trade to pull off.
What Darche decides to do with Pageau could be determined by the five games between the break and the deadline. The Islanders could easily fall out of the playoffs if they slip out of the gates, which would change the plan for both Pageau and Lee. There should be some big-name sellers at the deadline, including the New York Rangers. But the Islanders could set themselves up for a deep playoff run by trading Pageau.
The two options change who would get Pageau ahead of the deadline. A Stanley Cup contender would get better if it added Pageau as a penalty killer and depth center. But the Islanders could use his value and salary cap hit to clear space for a difference maker.
Who are the trade options for Islanders center JG Pageau
If the Islanders do a traditional trade deadline sell of Pageau, the usual Stanley Cup suspects would be in on him. Could the Tampa Bay Lightning or Florida Panthers make the move after missing out on Artemi Panarin? Or could the Los Angeles Kings, who traded for Panarin, pick up Pageau to help replace the injured Kevin Fiala? Out of the gate, teams are willing to part with a pick or a prospect for Pageau.
When the Islanders traded Nelson, they got a 2026 first-round pick and top prospect Calum Ritchie from the Colorado Avalanche. When the Rangers were trading Panarin, they wanted a similar package from whichever team got the winger. But the Kings only gave up a prospect and a third-round pick. That could hint at a buyer-friendly market at the deadline.
There were other factors at play with the Panarin situation, namely a full no-trade clause that allowed him to pick the team he wanted to play for. Pageau does not have that or an albatross contract that will be difficult to fit in. Finding the Stanley Cup contender to pick up Pageau and give up valuable assets should not be too hard for the Islanders.
What would be much harder, but would impact the Islanders immediately, would be Mathieu Darche buying at the deadline. They would take some of their future assets, including that Avalanche pick and Pageau, to find a goal-scoring piece for the future.
The St Louis Blues are hurdling toward the basement of the standings with two young pieces to sell. Both Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou have years remaining on their contracts, but could be on the move. The Islanders taking the 2026 first-round pick from the Avalanche and a prospect, potentially 2024 first-rounder Cole Eiserman, and trading for one of those players would be wise. Pageau would be included to unclog the depth chart and keep New York under the salary cap ceiling.
The Islanders have plenty of options at the upcoming trade deadline. Whether they buy or sell, trading JG Pageau is a must.
