The inclusion of Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s name in trade rumors is becoming a tradition like no other.
With the NHL’s Olympic break finishing up in a few days, the New York Islanders begin the unofficial second half of the season holding the third and final automatic playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, just one point behind the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins.
Yet the veteran center is once again dealing with another bout of hypothetical deals that include his name ahead of the NHL’s March 6 trade deadline, despite him and his team perhaps being in their best spot in three years.
“It’s the same. I feel like, especially around this time of year, everyone wants to change their team, make them better. They want new faces,” Pageau told amNewYork. “That’s what it is, and I haven’t followed much of the social media, especially around this time. I know what it is because [the press] brings it up. So why would I need to think about it if you guys bring it up? So it is what it is. I can try to control what I can and just spend quality time with my family and focus on my teammates, how I can make my teammates even better, and that’s my main focus.”
That focus has been unwavering through the ceaseless rumor mill, whether it was him being shipped out of town when Patrick Roy came in mid-season in 2023-24, or at last year’s deadline, or on draft night last summer, when it was being speculated that new general manager Mathieu Darche was looking to move up further in the first round after making the No. 1 overall pick (Matthew Schaefer).
In theory, this is as secure as Pageau should be. The Islanders are in the middle of a playoff push, and the 33-year-old is a centerpiece of the bottom six, has 12 goals, is a top penalty-killer, and is one of the best face-off men in the league. Among NHLers with at least 500 face-off takens, his 60.4% win rate ranks fifth-best in the league.
“His experience is certainly very important to us,” Roy said. “He plays with heart and passion. It’s nice to have these guys on our side during this [second-half] stretch. I call this stretch the third period. We gotta be bold now more than ever and find ways to focus on how we want to be better. What can we do to be at our best?”
Trading such an invaluable asset when such a skillset is at a premium would appear to be a short-sighted decision, especially when such a glue guy has continuously served as the mentor to some of the Islanders’ younger projects — specifically Simon Holmstrom, who has developed into a 20-goal, two-way talent.
“I take pride in that role that I’ve had since coming here,” Pageau said. “It’s changed a lot every game, every week, sometimes. But I always stick to what I can do best: bring my effort, my knowledge, and try to be better for my teammates.”
There is no denying that the Islanders are ahead of schedule. After missing the playoffs last year, retooling the roster with Darche, and nabbing that No. 1 pick, this was supposed to be a year of transition.
With 24 games remaining, this is not just an anomaly. This is a team that expects to be in the playoffs.
“I always believed in this group,” Pageau said. “There’s something special that’s here in this room. We keep having that belief that drives us every day to be better, even our practices right now, I feel like we’re moving forward every day, trying to be better.”
