The Jean-Gabriel Pageau Contract Is An Overpay
Before we dive into Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s contract, I need to state that I love Pageau as a player. He does so much for the New York Islanders on both sides of the game. However, you can still love a player and recognize something is wrong with the contract he has. Now let us dive into why Pageau is overpaid.
Pageau may contribute a lot to the team, but he should not be making five million per season, ending after the 2026-2027 season. Since joining the team at the 2020 Trade Deadline, Pageau has scored 17 goals and 34 points in 68 games for Islanders. Those numbers are not terrible, but for what the Islanders are paying him, you would like to see some more offense out of him, especially since that was one of the main reasons the Islanders traded for him, to be that key depth scoring option. I recognize Pageau is great in the defensive zone and a good penalty killer, but he needs to give more offensively to justify the contract given to him.
If you look at the forwards around the league who are making five million a year or less, they are producing more than Pageau. Players like Alex Killorn, Nazim Kadri, and Jonathan Marchessault all make either equal to or less than Pageau and are producing more for their respective teams. Josh Bailey, for example, has a similar AAV to Pageau, yet is putting up better numbers than Pageau since joining the Islanders.
I do recognize that for the Islanders, offensive production has always come second to defense, but Lou Lamoriello should have been smarter when it came to giving Jean-Gabriel Pageau, knowing there is risk in giving a middle-six forward a six-year contract valued at five million AAV. Right now while the Islanders are contending, this contract will not look as bad as it will in three years when the Islanders are done contending. Pageau’s contract will be a nightmare for the Islanders in the coming years.
Hi, my name is Jack Kobil. I am currently attending Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington DC. I am a huge Islanders fan and I love to share my passion for this team.
