Hockey

REPORT: Edmonton Oilers’ Missed Trade – Why Jean-Gabriel Pageau Stayed with the Islanders

Published: Mar 27, 2025, 12:00 PM
1 min read
Updated: Jul 24, 2025, 11:21 AM
Fact checked by:
Sergey Demidov
 Jean-Gabriel Pageau #44 of the New York Islanders

The Oilers explored adding Jean-Gabriel Pageau before the NHL Trade Deadline (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

One of the biggest knocks on the Edmonton Oilers, who came within one win of hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2024, has been their offensive depth.

Before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, the Oilers attempted to address that flaw by acquiring bottom-six forward Trent Frederic from the Boston Bruins, along with Max Jones.

But was there another forward on their radar?

Pageau Fit the Oilers’ Needs, But Deal Stalled

Multiple sources have informed RG that the Edmonton Oilers were interested in acquiring center Jean-Gabriel Pageau from the New York Islanders before eventually pivoting to Frederic.

Pageau had 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) and had won 59.6 percent of his faceoffs through 58 games prior to the March 7 deadline.

In addition to his faceoff dominance, Pageau plays on both special-teams units and brings a wealth of playoff experience, with 41 points (23 goals, 18 assists) in 82 postseason games.

The fit appeared ideal for Oilers GM Stan Bowman, who was seeking to shore up the team’s center depth with a longer-term option. Pageau—especially with some salary retention—would have provided the kind of reliable, two-way presence the team could count on for multiple playoff runs, bolstering their case to retain Connor McDavid long-term.

But several factors got in the way of a deal.

Islanders Wanted More Than Picks, Wouldn’t Retain Salary

Pageau is not a pending unrestricted free agent; he has one more year left on his deal with a $5 million cap hit and a 16-team no-trade clause.

According to sources close to the situation, the Islanders ultimately decided against the trade for two key reasons.

The first was their unwillingness to retain salary on Pageau’s $5 million contract, which runs through the 2025–26 season. The second was a lack of interest in dealing veterans for a package centered around draft picks.

Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello made that clear in his post-deadline press conference.

“If we could have gotten younger and better, other than draft picks, we would have done it without question,” Lamoriello said. “But we felt that where a few of our players are—and when I say a few, several players—that we could have made moves with, they were better done at a different time.”

The Islanders did make one deal, sending star forward and pending UFA Brock Nelson and prospect William Dufour to the Colorado Avalanche for top prospect Cal Ritchie, a first-round pick in 2026 or 2027, a conditional third-round pick in 2028, and defenseman Oliver Kylington.

That trade aligned better with the Islanders’ long-term vision, as they expect Ritchie to be NHL-ready by fall 2025.

The Islanders also held onto another pending UFA, Kyle Palmieri, with both sides reportedly working toward a contract extension.

Since the deadline, the Oilers have gone 5-2-1 in eight games. Frederic has yet to debut for Edmonton as he recovers from a lower-body injury.

For a full breakdown of the latest promotions, check out our top canadian sports betting websites.

Senior News Editor
Marco D’Amico is an accredited hockey reporter covering the Montreal Canadiens, with a strong focus on NHL prospects, the NHL Draft, and player development. His work has appeared on TSN, RDS, CBC, and more, and he’s interviewed top talents like Lane Hutson, Shane Wright, Ivan Demidov, Logan Cooley, and Nathan MacKinnon.
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Daria Tuboltseva
Daria Tuboltseva
Hockey Reporter

Daria Tuboltseva has worked as a sports journalist since 2014 and has specialized in hockey coverage since 2016. She’s reported from some of the world’s biggest sporting events, including the Olympic Games (Beijing 2022), the FIFA World Cup (2018), the IIHF World Championships (2016–2019, 2021), the IIHF World Junior Championship (2019), and every Gagarin Cup Final since 2017.

Her work has appeared in leading Russian sports outlets like Championat.com and Sport24, as well as on the official websites of the KHL and the Women’s Hockey League (WHL). Daria has conducted exclusive interviews with some of the sport’s most recognized names, including Alex Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr, Kirill Kaprizov, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Igor Shesterkin.

Beyond her writing, Daria brings extensive on-camera experience. She hosted NHL Today on Yandex.Efir and has produced powerful long-form projects such as the documentary Lokomotiv Crash and the series Hockey Country, featuring stars like Ovechkin, Malkin, Bobrovsky, Vasilevskiy, and Panarin. Her work has taken her to NHL games across North America and international events like the NHL Global Series in Europe.

In addition to her media career, Daria is a certified integrative nutritionist with a focus on sports nutrition. She works one-on-one with KHL players, helping them optimize performance and recovery through tailored nutrition plans. Her ability to blend media expertise with athlete support gives her a unique presence in the professional hockey world.

Daria publishes in both English and Russian and is the creator of the Telegram channel Coolest Game on Earth, where she shares insights, interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories from the hockey world.

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