Islanders' Trotz after Pageau acquisition: Draft picks 'are nothing'

New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz is a big fan of his team's recent acquisition of forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

"What a great pickup by (general manager) Lou (Lamoriello)," Trotz told reporters postgame Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Arthur Staple. "The (draft) picks are nothing, I can tell you that - a lot of picks never play."

The Islanders were one of the league's biggest spenders at the trade deadline, giving up a conditional first-round pick, a second-round pick, and a conditional third-rounder to add the 27-year-old forward from the Ottawa Senators.

The team immediately signed Pageau to a six-year extension with an average annual value of $5 million. He recorded a goal in his first game with his new club in Tuesday's contest against the New York Rangers.

Only 10 of the 38 players selected by the Islanders in six drafts dating back to 2014 have appeared in at least one NHL game. Of those 10 players, seven were selected in the first round.

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