Today is the day of the 2020 NHL trade deadline. As of 3pm Eastern time, all trades were locked in, and will be for the rest of the season. Can I say wow?
Every other time my phone went off today, it was a notification about a recent trade haven taken place in the league: “Sami Vatanen traded to Hurricanes from Devils,” “Golden Knights get Robin Lehner from Blackhawks,” “Bolts acquire Barclay Goodrow and a 3rd round pick from Sharks.” I mean, they are blowing up my phone one by one, to say the least.
What shocks me about the trade deadline, however, is not the number of trades occurring in the day but rather the trades themselves. One in particular- the Jean-Gabriel Pageau trade.
Today, the Senators traded Jean-Gabriel Pageau to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2020 1st round draft pick, a 2020 2nd round draft pick, and a conditional 2022 3rd round draft pick.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau was selected 96th overall in the 2011 4th round draft pick by the Ottawa Senators, and has played for them ever since. In 428 games, the centerman has racked up a respectable 182 points, with 40 of them belonging to the 2019-2020 season.
In only 60 games played this year, Pageau has 24 goals, 16 assists, for a total of 40 points, showing that he definitely brings something to the table. But was it worth what was given up for him?
Though the Islanders have had a great season so far with 76 points and a first wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference, they are neck and neck with the Blue Jackets, with the Carolina Hurricanes trailing only 2 points behind.
The point is, the Islanders aren’t out of the woods just yet, and obtaining Pageau may or may not be their answer.
While I could propose reasons for why he should’ve and shouldn’t have been traded, the deal is done, and the Islanders gave away two, potentially three draft picks for Pageau. Let’s just hope that he can give the Islanders what they wanted.
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