Islanders pay hefty, but worthwhile price for Jean-Gabriel Pageau

The New York Islanders do not wait to acquire some depth at the center position as the team has reportedly acquired Jean-Gabriel Pageau for three draft picks.

New York Islanders fans were waiting for their general manager Lou Lamoriello and management to make a splash before the Trade Deadline today at 3 p.m. EST. And the team did just that as they acquired center Jean-Gabriel Pageau from the Ottawa Senators for a 2020 1st and 2nd round pick, as well as a third-round pick in 2022.

This was first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger. There are reportedly several conditions involved in those draft picks, but they have yet to be finalized or released.

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

My initial reaction is that the Islanders did not give up any top prospects, such as  Kieffer Bellows, whose name was thrown into trade rumors.

The picks are a lot, but in the grand scheme of things, for a team in win-now mode, you can live with the return. And you can sit back and relax, knowing that he could be re-signed, pending the allowance to start contract negotiations.

Playing a first-line center role, Pageau has been a bright spot on a struggling Senators’ team. The 27-year old has 24 goals (a career-high) and 16 assists while recording a TOI average of 19:18.

For the Islanders, their main concern was their depth, specifically at the center position. And this move became more than likely with Derick Brassard day-to-day after taking a puck to the face against the Colorado Avalanche last Wednesday.

Brassard and Pageau also reunite with this deal, as Brassard played with Pageau during the 2017-18 season.

And Pageau, besides being a strong player during the regular season, has shown he can handle it on the big stage in the playoffs. In 35 career playoff games, the Ottawa native lit the lamp 12 times, with 4 assists, as well as a plus/- of +9.

The Islanders with this acquisition now have four lines that can do damage on a nightly basis. And Pageau is not a guy known to play a third-line role, but the hope is that he buys into his new head coach’s system and becomes an integral part in getting this team into the playoffs, and then some.

And with Cizikas out, Pageau can slot in on the penalty kill for the time being.

How bout this stat.

With everyone healthy, this is what the lineup may look like.

Now for Ottawa, the return was rather strong given a guy that had never broken the 20-goal plateau until this season. With the acquisition of these three draft picks, two this year, the Senators now have 14 picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, three first-round picks.

And for a player who would most likely not re-sign with a rebuilding Ottawa team, it was smart to trade him. The Senators had already traded Namestikov to Colorado prior to this move, as it is clear it is an open house in Ottawa.

Both teams get what they want in this trade. The Islanders add an offensive center, a position the team was rather slim at, and the Senators get three picks in an effort to speed up their rebuilding process.