Two Western Conference rivals linked to Islanders' veteran 800-game player

New York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau won't qualify as a UFA until next season, but suitors still won't let that deter them from checking back this time out from the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

The 32-year-old, with a $5 million cap hit, has had an excellent season, picking up 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) over 52 contests. He has dominated the faceoff dot, too, by winning 59.7%, an apparent best in his career.

He is defensively dependable down the middle, but Pageau also plays as a penalty killer, so any playoff team, at any time, wants him. Suitors are the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers, per Stefen Rosner.

Vegas, with an approximate $2.28 million in cap breathing room, gets further relief if Shea Theodore ($5.2M AAV), who is injured, gets placed on LTIR, leaving them $7.48 million worth of wiggle room.

Since injured center William Karlsson sits out for weeks, Pageau would add center depth.

Edmonton, full down the middle with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Adam Henrique, does need Pageau, but it'd also let them, perhaps, play McDavid and Draisaitl together.

But there, it gets dicey due to the small salary cap room they have ($631,883). Pageau has a 16-team modified no-trade clause, and the expectation is that the Islanders would be retaining dollars.

If Brock Nelson gets sent out by the Islanders, it opens the possibility for further moves. But if Lou Lamoriello feels secure, Pageau stays. His trade worth, by this time, has increased, which is an ironic twist from last season.