J.G. Pageau really loves being a part of the Islanders.
He hasn’t been afraid to show it either.
Throughout the offseason — following the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals — Pageau has been quite active talking about his time with the organization and what its been like from when the Isles traded for him at last season’s trade deadline.
On Wednesday he was a guest on a La Poche Bleue, a French-Canadian hockey podcast, and revealed how quickly things transpired when Islanders’ g.m. Lou Lamoriello made the deal for him.
In the end, the transaction happened and it was the right thing to do. Pageau didn’t come out of it sour, but it was the total surprise to see how much the Islanders wanted it. As he explains, Lou Lamoriello submitted an offer on the table and Pageau immediately accepted it. There were therefore no negotiations between the Islanders and Pageau regarding his contract extension. The Islanders offered him $5 million by starting the discussion. It was a yes. -Â English translation courtesy of Toutsurlehockey.com
So as Pageau stated above, he was taken aback by how much the organization wanted him and wanted to get him signed long-term.
Oddly enough, the Ottawa native’s take on situation was the complete opposite in the eyes of Islander fans.
Supporters of the team had clamored for someone to fill the third-line center slot all year after it had become a black hole following Valtteri Filppula’s departure in the offseason. Pageau’s name was the most that came up. He became a hot button because it was established he was going to be available and that he fit the mold of the kind of player the Islanders were looking to add.
We all know what unfolded in the aftermath of Pageau’s addition — he’s been a perfect fit. But the fact that there wasn’t even a discussion about a contract extension speaks volumes about the confidence he had joining the team and vice versa.
The 27-year-old also went on to talk about the admiration he has for the team’s fourth line, which features Casey Cizikas, Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck.
That trio was dominant for the Islanders in the postseason, and Pageau said it was “beautiful†watching them when they would start to rev it up against the opposition. He was particularly amazed by the dose of energy they would bring when scrums would ensue. That the Isles didn’t get to experience the thrill of their great run playing at Nassau Coliseum — and not getting to see how much the fourth line sends the place into into a frenzy — was another aspect  Pageau said he regrets not being able to experience.
Pageau is set to be an Islander for a long time having signed for the next six years. Still, with how he describes that dynamic of the team, it shows just how much he enjoys being in blue and orange.
He loves it here.
Already a fan favorite, Pageau continues to say the right things while also showing the same enthusiasm that the organization has built in the past two years.
You can’t really ask for much more love than that.