Mathieu Darche should put this center on the trade block

The Islanders did not have the splashiest offseason. After playing well above expectations last season, Mathieu Darche and company were rather reserved, only making a few moves to address the middle six and blueline. But just because the main portion of the offseason is over, it does not mean they are done making moves. The Islanders should look to capitalize on the state of the trade market and move Jean-Gabriel Pageau. But why is this something the Isles should consider?

Why it's the perfect time to move Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Pageau is coming off a very solid season. In 74 games last season, he racked up 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points. This lines up perfectly with his career averages. But his underlying metrics show that these numbers were better than what he produced. According to Natural Stat Trick, he posted a 46.36 CF%, a 47.52 SCF%, and a 45.61 xG%. While these are not terrible, they are a big step back from what they were in 2024-25.

He is also going to be in a diminished role next season. Instead of being a middle-six forward who gets time on the second and third lines, he will also exclusively be a third-line center. This, coupled with a small decline in his ability, will see his numbers start to decrease. We could see him become less effective, thus making him less valuable to other teams. Making it a lot harder to trade him in the future.

Do you really want to be paying a third-liner $4.85 million? While it's not a bad contract, with the Isles so close to the cap, it will create some breathing room. The Islanders will go from having only around three million in cap to closer to eight million. It may not mean much for the offseason, but it will be huge come the deadline. If the Islanders are in it, they can go big game hunting because they will have the financial flexibility to do it.

It's also a seller's market right now. Look at what the Rangers got when they traded Vincent Trocheck. They were able to land an NHL-caliber defenseman, a prospect who looks like a bottom-six forward, and a third-round pick. Sure, the Islanders won't land that type of return, as Trocheck is better than Pageau. But they could land a solid prospect and a draft pick. A pretty good return for a player in their mid-30s, who could be about to decline.

While it may not be the move Islanders fans are expecting, it will go a long way to help them in the future. It will allow them to be more aggressive during the season and beyond.

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