On Feb. 24, 2020, the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators made one of the biggest deals of the season. The Senators sent pending free agent center Jean-Gabriel Pageau to the New York Islanders for a 2020 first-round pick, 2020 second-round pick, and conditional 2022 third-round pick, which ended up not being sent. Four years later, we now have a clearer picture of who came out on top.
New York Islanders, B
For the Islanders, it was no surprise to see general manager Lou Lamoriello acquire a scoring forward. Before the trade, Pageau had 24 goals and 40 points in 60 games, all career highs, and was a dominant penalty killer. He was also just 27 years old and in the middle of his prime. The appeal for the Islanders was obvious, and Pageau immediately performed.
Notably, in his first game as an Islander, he scored a goal against the New York Rangers and fought Jacob Trouba after a dangerous hit on teammate Michael Dal Colle. Since then, he has been a key part of the team’s two Eastern Conference Final runs and continues to be a crucial part of the current core.
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In terms of the trade, it was a lot to give up. At the time, the Islanders were dropping in the standings before the league shut down when COVID-19 hit. A first-round pick to be paired with a second-rounder for a team not guaranteed to make the playoffs was scary, but it ended up working out in the end.
Now, it’s four years later, and Pageau is still playing a crucial role on the Islanders’ third line and penalty kill. Additionally, in the team’s two deep playoff runs, he had 11 goals and 24 points in 41 games. Moving forward, the Islanders could look to deal him since the team has strong center depth and needs to find ways to clear cap space this summer. Once again, he could be on the move at the trade deadline.
Ottawa Senators, A
At the time of the trade, the Senators looked to have gotten very good value for Pageau. They found a team not guaranteed to make the playoffs and got the potential of a top 15 pick and top 50 pick for a pending free agent likely to sign elsewhere. While the picks ended up being 28th and 59th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, they still made out very well.
To be clear, the A-level grade is because of the team finding value in getting these two picks, not because of how well they have turned out. The 59th overall pick was later used in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs to move up to 44th overall and select Tyler Kleven. Kleven has yet to make a true impact at the NHL level, but the 6-foot-4, left-handed defenseman was one of the best defensive defensemen in college hockey last season and has impressed in his first full season of professional hockey with the Belleville Senators.
The 28th overall pick was used to select left winger Ridly Greig. The Senators’ utilization of the pick was stellar, as Greig has become a key part of their current core, having nine goals and 20 points in 42 games in the NHL this season, and he is just 21 years old. While the Senators as a team are still struggling to make the playoffs, Greig is sure to be a key reason why the team finds success in the future.
Since the trade, both teams have found success with the assets they obtained, but it is clear the Senators came out on top. The Islanders found immediate success as a result of the Pageau acquisition and would be unlikely to undo the trade if they could, but it is clear there were bigger needs at the time than a third-line center. However, if the assets had been retained, a young player like Greig would be of great value to the current Islanders roster, showing asset management was good but not great.
