The Detroit Red Wings are expected to be on the edge of the playoffs for the 2024-25 NHL season. A proposed trade suggests that they could enhance their forward lineup by acquiring New York Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
PuckPedia’s new tool, PuckGM, allows users to propose trades, and one such suggestion involves the Red Wings obtaining Pageau from the Islanders. This deal appears logical: Detroit gains a skilled forward, while the Islanders receive younger player Lucas Raymond, who is a restricted free agent (RFA), along with defenseman Justin Holl’s contract, though Holl can still be a valuable asset.
Pageau, who has two years remaining on his six-year, $30 million contract, could serve as a middle-six forward for Detroit. Last season, he tallied 11 goals and 22 assists, totaling 33 points in 82 games. Over his NHL career, he has played 718 games, recording 145 goals and 179 assists for 324 points.
Lucas Raymond, who is an RFA without a contract for the upcoming season, would be a cost-effective replacement for Pageau in the Islanders’ lineup. Drafted in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft, Raymond played 12 games last season, scoring 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points.
Justin Holl, entering the second year of a three-year, $10.2 million deal, struggled in his first season with the Red Wings, posting no goals and 5 assists in 38 games. Signed in 2023 to bolster Detroit’s defense, Holl faced challenges and was a healthy scratch at times. While his name was mentioned as a potential buyout candidate, the Red Wings opted against it, possibly to avoid the long-term dead cap hit. If Holl’s performance doesn’t improve, he may be considered for a buyout in the 2025 offseason, as noted by NHL insider Max Bultman of The Athletic.
Detroit is also facing a pressing need to re-sign RFAs Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond as NHL training camps approach in September. Seider, who played 82 games last season, recorded 9 goals and 33 assists for 42 points, while Raymond also appeared in 82 games, scoring 31 goals and 41 assists for 72 points.
