SAN JOSE, Calif. — Jean-Gabriel Pageau mentioned he by no means had an expectation that Mathieu Darche would wish to discuss extension in the midst of the season, particularly after Darche had made clear that wasn’t possible when the yr began.
Pageau was thrilled to take action, although, and ecstatic to safe the following three years of his future on Lengthy Island with a contract that can pay him $4.85 million yearly, which got here collectively over the past week.
“When you have got children, household, you don’t actually know the place you’re gonna be the following day, it was form of a reduction simply to know we’re gonna keep,” Pageau mentioned earlier than the Islanders’ 2-1 extra time win over the Sharks on Saturday evening. “Extraordinarily proud of the outcome. That’s the place we needed to be. We needed to maintain happening our mission. Make the playoffs and go from there.”
Ottawa native Pageau performed for his hometown Senators for the primary eight years of his profession earlier than being traded to the Islanders in February 2020. Now, although, it’s Lengthy Island that, he mentioned Saturday, “seems like residence.”
“We love all the things,” he mentioned. “Not solely the teammates, the group, however the followers. The help they offer us day in, time out on a foul evening or evening. They’re there to help us. I really feel the persons are simply real. They’re all the time good to be round, good to us. It makes us wish to stick round.”
Neither he nor Brayden Schenn — acquired at Friday’s commerce deadline — have any issues both about their comparable talent units being redundant.
“What I find out about his recreation is once you’re taking part in him on an evening, you’re not gonna get a straightforward evening,” Schenn mentioned. “He’s robust within the faceoff dot, he performs laborious protection, he’s throughout you.”
The one ahead line that remained intact from Thursday evening was Pageau’s with Anders Lee and Simon Holmstrom.
Emil Heineman moved to the highest line with Bo Horvat centering him and Mathew Barzal. Cal Ritchie shifted to wing on the second line, with Schenn at heart and Ondrej Palat on the other wing.
Anthony Duclair got here again into the lineup to play on the fourth line to the left aspect of Casey Cizikas and Marc Gatcomb, whereas Kyle MacLean drew out as a wholesome scratch.
“It’s not too completely different,” Ritchie mentioned of taking part in wing. “I feel, clearly, if you happen to’re first again within the D-zone, you’re nonetheless the low man and issues like that. For me that doesn’t change an excessive amount of of my recreation, to be sincere. That simply means much less faceoffs and [Schenn’s] probably the greatest faceoff guys within the league.”
Holmstrom switched to No. 92 to accommodate Schenn, who stored the No. 10 he’s worn his complete profession.
“It price me somewhat bit,” Schenn mentioned.
