Despite varying roles, JG Pageau remains among Islanders’ most steady presences

ELMONT, NY — Pete DeBoer is as well-traveled an NHL head coach as they come, but over the last decade, whether it was in his stint with the San Jose Sharks or Vegas Golden Knights, or Dallas Stars, there always seemed to be one constant: Jean-Gabriel Pageau.  No, Pageau had never played for DeBoer. He always just so happened to be the white whale of the general managers who were looking to swing a difference-making trade at the deadline before a playoff run.  "He checks so many boxes: Face-offs, power play, penalty kill," DeBoer said. "You can stick him anywhere, and he's going to help." The stars finally aligned for DeBoer when he took the New York Islanders' head-coaching gig with four games left last season, and he's having a field day deploying the veteran center as he sees fit.  Pageau has had a revolving door of linemates throughout his Islanders career, but this year has featured a significant gap in age difference. On opening night, he was working with 20-year-old Victor Ek