Acquiring Jean-Gabriel Pageau a needed move for Islanders
Senators center Jean-Gabriel Pageau against the Avalanche on Feb. 11 in Denver. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski
What did it all mean? Check back in six weeks, or three months, or five years. Or Tuesday night!
Such were the plot twists in New York-area hockey on Monday as the trade deadline came and went and left aftershocks that are impossible to fairly evaluate immediately, even though we will try anyway . . . starting with the Rangers’ timely visit to the Islanders’ NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday.
But back to the trade deadline.
The message from Islanders president Lou Lamoriello to his coaches, players, opponents and fans went something like this: It’s on! (Although he does not speak like that; not publicly, anyway.)
But one can read between the lines, such as when he was asked Monday about still having room to re-sign three key restricted free agents. He said he intends to and added, “We’ll worry about that when the time comes.”
In the meantime, he knew his team needed help to make noise in the playoffs and possibly to get there at all.
Hence his carpe diem move to give a so-so offense a boost by adding Jean-Gabriel “J-G” Pageau from Ottawa, a guy who upon donning his Islanders sweater will become the team’s leading goal-scorer.
He cost a first-round draft pick, a second and (maybe) a third. Then, before the afternoon was out, he also cost a new six-year contract at an average annual value of $5 million.
Pageau, 27, had 24 goals and 16 assists for the Senators in the last year of a three-year, $9.3 million deal.
“I don’t think there were many people out there that could have filled this need, and we were fortunate to get one of them that could,” said Lamoriello, who had sought a righthanded-shooting center.
This is a big deal on a personal level for Pageau, who is from Ottawa and has spent his entire NHL career there. He said the angst over his uncertain situation led him to vomit on Sunday.
“It was stressful and I’m glad it’s over now and I can focus on the goal, which is winning,” he said.
The Pageau deal wasn’t the only indication of Lamoriello’s going-for-it mindset. He reportedly was working on a trade for the Wild’s Zach Parise that was not completed, maybe because of complex financial implications.
After returning most of last season’s roster intact by re-signing key veterans, going on a 17-game point streak last autumn, then stumbling into playoff limbo, the Islanders know they cannot mess around.
They will want to have a good product to take the ice two seasons hence in the Belmont parking lot, so a case can be made for holding on to draft picks (and cap space) and peaking then.
But no. This is a win-now team that needs more wins — now — simply to qualify for the Stanley Cup tournament. Failing to do so would be a gut punch to fans after the promise shown last season and early in this one.
Last week, Lamoriello acquired veteran defenseman Andy Greene from the Devils.
“Without question, we feel they were holes that we were able to fill with players that wouldn’t take any period of time to adjust,” Lamoriello said of Greene and Pageau.
Even if Lamoriello had been inclined to be less aggressive, he couldn’t be, not with the rest of the Metropolitan Division making noise.
The surging Rangers re-signed Chris Kreider to a seven-year deal worth $6.5 million on average. And even though they traded Brady Skjei to the Hurricanes, that financial offload will provide flexibility for the coming offseason.
Speaking of the Hurricanes, a key rival in the current wild-card race, they made a big deal themselves Monday, sending four players to the Panthers for forward Vincent Trocheck.
So again: It’s on. Islanders fans have no reason to argue for patience. What good has patience done them?
It has been 37 years since they won a Stanley Cup, 36 since they reached the Cup Final, 27 since they reached a conference finals. Enough already.
Just win, J-G.
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
