SAN JOSE, Calif. — Jean-Gabriel Pageau said he never had an expectation that Mathieu Darche would want to talk extension in the middle of the season, especially after Darche had made clear that wasn’t likely when the year started.
Pageau was thrilled to do so, though, and ecstatic to secure the next three years of his future on Long Island with a contract that will pay him $4.85 million annually, which came together over the last week.
“When you have kids, family, you don’t really know where you’re gonna be the next day, it was kind of a relief just to know we’re gonna stay,” Pageau said before the Islanders’ 2-1 overtime win over the Sharks on Saturday night. “Extremely happy with the result. That’s where we wanted to be. We wanted to keep going on our mission. Make the playoffs and go from there.”
Ottawa native Pageau played for his hometown Senators for the first eight years of his career before being traded to the Islanders in February 2020. Now, though, it’s Long Island that, he said Saturday, “feels like home.”
“We love everything,” he said. “Not only the teammates, the organization, but the fans. The support they give us day in, day out on a bad night or a good night. They’re there to support us. I feel the people are just genuine. They’re always nice to be around, nice to us. It makes us want to stick around.”
Neither he nor Brayden Schenn — acquired at Friday’s trade deadline — have any concerns either about their similar skill sets being redundant.
“What I know about his game is when you’re playing him on a night, you’re not gonna get an easy night,” Schenn said. “He’s strong in the faceoff dot, he plays hard defense, he’s all over you.”
The only forward line that remained intact from Thursday night was Pageau’s with Anders Lee and Simon Holmstrom.
Emil Heineman moved to the top line with Bo Horvat centering him and Mathew Barzal. Cal Ritchie shifted to wing on the second line, with Schenn at center and Ondrej Palat on the opposite wing.
Anthony Duclair came back into the lineup to play on the fourth line to the left side of Casey Cizikas and Marc Gatcomb, while Kyle MacLean drew out as a healthy scratch.
“It’s not too different,” Ritchie said of playing wing. “I think, obviously, if you’re first back in the D-zone, you’re still the low guy and things like that. For me that doesn’t change too much of my game, to be honest. That just means less faceoffs and [Schenn’s] one of the best faceoff guys in the league.”
Holmstrom switched to No. 92 to accommodate Schenn, who kept the No. 10 he’s worn his entire career.
“It cost me a little bit,” Schenn said.
