Islanders: Best four targets on the Athletics trade deadline big board

Jean-Gabriel Pageau | Ottawa Senators

Big Board Rank: 4
Stats: 43GP 19G,11A, 30Pts 

He’d be a perfect fit for the Islanders third-line center role. Absolutely perfect.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau kills penalties about as well as Casey Cizikas. He’s able to create offense from the penalty kill (he has three short-handed goals already this season).

He’s also incredible at 5on5 while playing primarily from the defensive zone. Through 43 games, Pageau already has 15 goals at 5on5 (a career-high) while starting 61.3 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone.

Again, he’s absolutely perfect for the New York Islanders.

The issue surrounding Pageau is first, the cost, and second, do they want to move him?

With the type of season, Pageau is having he’s likely going to carry a heavy price at the trade deadline. Center’s aren’t cheap. Kevin Hayes cost Brendan Lemieux, a first-round pick, and conditional fourth-round pick when he was traded last year.

Pageau won’t cost the exact same, but you have to think a consistent 30 point two-way center on a career year is going to cost at least a first-round pick and perhaps something else.

Then there’s the issue of him even being available. According to The Athletic, the Senators are likely going to sign Pageau rather than offer him up as another casualty of the rebuild. So he may not even be available for the Islanders to trade for him.