Good News: New York Islanders Lands $26.459 Million Forward In Blockbuster Trade

Trade Pitch Sees Red Wings Acquiring $30 Million Forward.

The Detroit Red Wings are likely to be a fringe playoff team in the 2024-25 NHL season. But, one trade pitch has the team adding to their forward group by trading for New York Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

The website PuckPedia has a new tool called PuckGM that lets users create their own trades and one user proposed a deal that would see the Red Wings acquire Pageau from the Islanders to help bolster their forward group.

• Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Islanders acquire:

• Jonatan Berggren
• Justin Holl ($600k retained)

The proposed deal is an intriguing one and one that does make sense on paper. Detroit gets a skilled forward, while the Islanders get a younger player in Berggren, who is an RFA but do have to take on Holl’s contract, but he still can be a serviceable defenseman.

Pageau has two years left on his six-year $30 million deal and can be a middle-six forward for Detroit. Last season, Pageau recorded 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 82 games. In his NHL career, he’s skated in 718 games recording 145 goals and 179 assists for 324 points.

Berggren is an RFA and does not have a contract for next season, but would be an easy replacement for Pageau in the Islanders lineup, and also would be much cheaper. Berggren was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NHL draft and last season skated in 12 games recording  2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points.

Holl, meanwhile, is entering the second year of a three-year $10.2 million contract. However, he struggled in his first season with the Red Wings as he recorded 0 goals and 5 assists in 38 games.

Holl Considered a Buyout Candidate

Holl was signed in free agency of 2023 as he was supposed to help bolster Detroit’s defense. However, he struggled in his first season and was a healthy scratch at times.

Holl’s name was brought up as a potential buyout candidate, but the Red Wings decided to not buy him out. However, Holl is likely to be a candidate to be bought out in the 2025 NHL offseason if his play doesn’t improve, according to NHL insider Max Bultman of The Athletic.