New York Islanders fans got disappointing news on Thursday as Jean-Gabriel Pageau was placed on Injured Reserve with an upper-body injury.
Pageau has been having an impressive season for the Islanders, with ten goals and 19 assists in 56 games. The center has also been superb in the faceoff circle, winning 56.5% of his faceoffs.
Pageau is in his third season with the Islanders since being acquired from the Ottawa Senators. Shortly after, Islanders general manager and president of hockey operations Lou Lamoriello signed Pageau to a six-year $30 million contract. So far in his Islanders career, Pageau has recorded 44 goals and 54 assists in 194 games.
The veteran center will be replaced by Andy Andreoff, another veteran center who has NHL experience. At 31 years old, Andreoff has made 185 NHL appearances and has tallied 14 goals and 12 assists.
Andreoff played six games with the Islanders last season and scored a single goal. In the AHL this season, Andreoff tallied 20 goals and 18 assists. His 20 goals lead the team.
“I feel a little more comfortable,” Andreoff said. “It helps having played with a couple of guys in camp. I was out there with a lot of great players.”
The Islanders are currently in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference. With a 27-23-7 record, they are ninth in the Eastern Conference. New York will be fighting for a playoff spot as the season winds down, and games will increasingly become more important.
Islanders fans will be hoping that Pageau isn’t out for too long and that he will be able to push New York into the playoffs.
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