Everyone kind of knew something was wrong with J-G Pageau when his effectiveness and his numbers dropped off in the New York Islanders’ seven-game conference final loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In the post-mortem after the heartbreaking 1-0 loss in Game 7, Barry Trotz mentioned how proud he was of guys who fought through injuries, and Pageau was the first name that came to mind to many.
In his post-season chat with media, GM Lou Lamoriello confirmed that Pageau needed hand surgery — he should be ready for next season — and it’s possible the jack-of-all-trades had other issues bothering him after taking some big hits late in the second round with the Bruins.