Player Discussion: Jean-Gabriel Pageau

[Throttle]

Nope. I don't think you will find many fans here who wish they still had the first rounder.

There’s still a plenty…they have just faded into the background.

 

[CREW99AW]

There’s still a plenty…they have just faded into the background.

No , we haven't faded into the background. The hardworking,solid Isles face another cap crunch and have one of the worst prospect pools in the league, leaving me hoping despite having few trade chips to cap dumps,they can somehow get past the best teams in the league ( TB/Col) and win a cup with great goaltending and strong D teams.

 

[Beacon Isles]

Question do you still feel like you boys overpaid?

I miss the guy as he was my favorite Senator. I didnt want to trade him at all tbh

I loved the trade the day it was made, and love it even more now.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

This trade was a win for everyone involved, I've enjoyed the contributions by Sens fans regarding Pageau, and wish them nothing but success with the picks they got from the deal. I actually find this deal miraculous. Pageau was the #1 TDL target heading into the deadline. The market for him was high, as it should have been. Lou and Dorion were able to make the deal before the actually day. From an Isles perspective, I don't think Lou gets enough credit, he snagged the best TDL player last year and then signed him and the Isles went further in the playoffs since the glory days. The price was not cheap but one the Isles could afford(they had 2 recent high firsts in Wally and Dobson), a first and 2nd and conditional 3rd if the Isles won the cup. He was willing to pay it, and Dorion accepted. It fits with both team's plans. Call it a win win. Pageau has been big for us in the room and on the ice, the Sens have a good young player in a spark plug in Ridley Greig.

 

[Throttle]

No , we haven't faded into the background. The hardworking,solid Isles face another cap crunch and have one of the worst prospect pools in the league, leaving me hoping despite having few trade chips to cap dumps,they can somehow get past the best teams in the league ( TB/Col) and win a cup with great goaltending and strong D teams.

Cant help you. You seem to like to find the
negative in most things and pretty much believe the Isles will lose every playoff series.

Don’t really care what the prospect pool is. The prospects that are expected to make an impact have already graduated - Pelech, Pulock, Barzal, etc. The next wave is Dobson, Wally, and Sorokin.

You keep your eyes on the prospect pool, most people want to watch the NHL team in the playoffs competing for the Cup.

TB has won a single Cup ‘in the bubble’ and Colorado hasn’t won jack crap yet. For all the prospect lovers there was a time not too long ago that most people felt Sakic was the worst GM and should have been fired. His hiring of Bedner and then not firing him was also another reason. But I digress, everyone loves them now…

 

[CREW99AW]

Cant help you. You seem to like to find the
negative in most things and pretty much believe the Isles will lose every playoff series.

Don’t really care what the prospect pool is. The prospects that are expected to make an impact have already graduated - Pelech, Pulock, Barzal, etc. The next wave is Dobson, Wally, and Sorokin.

You keep your eyes on the prospect pool, most people want to watch the NHL team in the playoffs competing for the Cup.

TB has won a single Cup ‘in the bubble’ and Colorado hasn’t won jack crap yet. For all the prospect lovers there was a time not too long ago that most people felt Sakic was the worst GM and should have been fired. His hiring of Bedner and then not firing him was also another reason. But I digress, everyone loves them now…

I don't care about simply making the playoffs. I want to see the isles win the SC. I didn't think last season's roster was good enough to win the SC with or without Pags and I don't think this season's group is good enough to win this season's SC.
A strong prospect pool would allow the isles to not only add cheap, cost controlled talent,but also attach sweeteners to some of their unwanted contracts during this cap crunch. What's so difficult to grasp about that point?

 

[Remparts666]

I don't care about simply making the playoffs. I want to see the isles win the SC. I didn't think last season's roster was good enough to win the SC with or without Pags and I don't think this season's group is good enough to win this season's SC.
A strong prospect pool would allow the isles to not only add cheap, cost controlled talent,but also attach sweeteners to some of their unwanted contracts during this cap crunch. What's so difficult to grasp about that point?

Well they are 9 wins away from achieving just that. Most Nhl fans would be begging for what you have in front of you. This team will contend for years

 

[Remparts666]

Pageau is one of my favorite player. Always perform in the playoff. To some extent, one can compare him to Bergeron which is somthing in itself

 

[CREW99AW]

Well they are 9 wins away from achieving just that. Most Nhl fans would be begging for what you have in front of you. This team will contend for years

They made the ELC last yr. I must have slept thru the SC parade.

Isles have not been able to get past the elite teams to win it all. Facing another cap crunch, having one of the weakest prospect pools in the league, I hope this team is able to win the SC this season. I don't expect it to happen.

What I expect is another fun run that falls short,then tough off-season decisions.

 

[Remparts666]

They made the ELC last yr. I must have slept thru the SC parade.

Isles have not been able to get past the elite teams to win it all. Facing another cap crunch, having one of the weakest prospect pools in the league, I hope this team is able to win the SC this season. I don't expect it to happen.

What I expect is another fun run that falls short,then tough off-season decisions.

History tells you anything can happen when you get to the final 4. It is so difficult to get there. Of course Isles may not win it all but they definitely have a chance and you should enjoy it

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

This attitude is the tragedy of people that don't succeed because they're afraid of failure.

 

[Lame Lambert]

This attitude is the tragedy of people that don't succeed because they're afraid of failure.

But think of all the picks we’d have

 

[Throttle]

A strong prospect pool would allow the isles to not only add cheap, cost controlled talent,but also attach sweeteners to some of their unwanted contracts during this cap crunch. What's so difficult to grasp about that point?

Nothing, actually. Plenty of teams have strong prospect pools...that result in not winning anything in the NHL. I just want to watch what's going on on the ice - not the future prospect watch and cap friendly. The Isles future is here already. They'll figure out the cap. Based on this so-called cap crunch, the Isles somehow are playing just fine in the actual playoffs.

 

[MJF]

But think of all the picks we’d have

Keep stockpiling those magic beans.

Those are the people who are afraid of success.

 

[armani]

Pageau is one of my favorite player. Always perform in the playoff. To some extent, one can compare him to Bergeron which is somthing in itself

Pageau doesn't have the playmaking abilities, otherwise he would be paid $8M+. It's why he's a tweener (2nd/3rd line C) who is mostly used a lot by coaches for his superior defensive capabilities but who has sneaky goal scoring, especially in clutch to go into hero mode. I prefer him as an elite 3C, he is such a weapon as a checking centre who bites back with offence or anything the team needs to win.

Montreal fans are breathing a sigh of relief that they don't have to face Pageau next round (they will meet MacKinnon or Stone so no respite lol). He is a #HabsKiller.

Miss the guy in Sens, Ottawa got fair value but think you guys won that trade because of the immediate impact he makes to your roster.

Now hit them Bruins one more time!

 

[mm11]

This guy is just getting better and better. Nice job Lou

 

[doublechili]

Pageau doesn't have the playmaking abilities, otherwise he would be paid $8M+.

We used to have a C who didn't have elite playmaking abilities, and someone paid him $11M+.

 

[Islesfan22]

This guy is just getting better and better. Nice job Lou

Goring has been giving him tons of praise in the post game show. He’s the perfect third line center as he’s good defensively gives you offense can skate excellent compete level and really good in face offs.

 

[scott99]

I learned very quickly that my anger towards thinking it was a ridiculous overpay for Pageau, couldn’t be more wrong. Of course signing him after the trade made me feel better.

Pagreau is one of those rare players, who transcends the stat sheet. He is all about the intangibles, that can’t be measured in any way. His leadership and passion made him the perfect player for the Isles. He’s so fundamentally sound as well. And so clutch in the playoffs, any stats he puts up in the regular season are a bonus. He quickly became one of my favorite Islanders ever.

 

[CREW99AW]

History tells you anything can happen when you get to the final 4. It is so difficult to get there. Of course Isles may not win it all but they definitely have a chance and you should enjoy it

I enjoyed last season's run and have enjoyed the series against the Pens and Bruins this season.
Doesn't mean I can't also be aware of the current team's strengths and weaknesses + the upcoming cap crunch+ the effect of having a pretty meh prospect pool.

 

[CREW99AW]

Nothing, actually. Plenty of teams have strong prospect pools...that result in not winning anything in the NHL. I just want to watch what's going on on the ice - not the future prospect watch and cap friendly. The Isles future is here already. They'll figure out the cap. Based on this so-called cap crunch, the Isles somehow are playing just fine in the actual playoffs.

Enough with your repeated and weak argument that fans who want a stronger pool, are more interested in future prospect watch or team prospect rankings then winning a SC.

BS. How hard is it to understand that SC contenders,with a wide SC window are able to use their prospects as quality,cost controlled roster additions and trade bait.

As for the cap crunch...keep telling yourself it hasn't already bitten the isles in the azz: Devon Toews and a long-term deal for Barzal were last season's cap casualties.

 

[doublechili]

Devon Toews and a long-term deal for Barzal were last season's cap casualties.

Toews was not good in the playoffs last year, and maybe Barzal will end up better for playing for his LT contract for the next 3 years rather than having it handed to him too young.

 

[Seph]

How hard is it to understand that SC contenders,with a wide SC window are able to use their prospects as quality,cost controlled roster additions and trade bait.

That's what Lou has done with our 1st rounders, though. So, I don't see why you're for theoretically doing that in the future but against doing it in the past.

 

[Throttle]

Enough with your repeated and weak argument that fans who want a stronger pool, are more interested in future prospect watch or team prospect rankings then winning a SC.

BS. How hard is it to understand that SC contenders,with a wide SC window are able to use their prospects as quality,cost controlled roster additions and trade bait.

As for the cap crunch...keep telling yourself it hasn't already bitten the isles in the azz: Devon Toews and a long-term deal for Barzal were last season's cap casualties.

What SC contenders with that long window are you referring to exactly?

And the Toews trade has worked out just fine for the Islanders and Colorado. The Isles needed to shed salary bc, well, Covid shut down the league and flattened the cap that every team relied on to increase, they needed to graduate Dobson, and wanted to resign Greene. Where does Toews fit in on back six? Lou got 2 2nd round picks for him when no one was paying value for anything.

Of course, Toews has played well for Colorado, he got traded to the perfect team for his style of play. Good for him. The Isles are pretty darn close to the place they were the last time Toews played for the Isles - so…his loss was negligible. And if you want complain about keeping Leddy over Toews or whatever, a defenseman was going out the door due to expansion anyway. Lou just struck early on it.

 

[doublechili]

having a pretty meh prospect pool

We have a pretty good group of prospects - in any event good enough considering the depth we already have at the NHL level. We don't have 3 or 4 guys eating up a huge chunk of our cap space, and Trotz likes to roll 4 lines. There are no obvious holes opening up any time soon, and we have young guys like Barzal, Beau and Wahlstrom up front and Dobson on the back (and Pelech, Pulock and Mayfield probably getting locked up). Goaltender seems set for a while. So in light of that, guys like Bolduc, Salo, Wilde, Holmstrom, MDC, Bellows, Newkirk, etc. are fine for our purposes.