Isles Day-to-Day: Pageau to Return vs Vegas

JG Pageau is poised to return to the New York Islanders lineup on Tuesday after missing eight games with an upper-body injury. Pageau last played in a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 22, but had resumed skating with the team on Dec. 2.

"I'm excited to join the group," Pageau said. "It's never fun to be on the sideline and watching your teammates battling. They've been playing some super good hockey, and I feel extremely excited to join the group and able to come go back to battle with them."

Pageau took line rushes alongside Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee on Tuesday morning. With Pageau and Barzal both being natural centers, face-off duties will be split, with Head Coach Patrick Roy saying the decision will be made by the two on the ice.

"It's always fun when you have two centermen, you can share some work in the defensive zone, and cheat a little more on face-offs," Pageau said.

Pageau and Barzal have played together in the past and Barzal is welcoming the reunion.

"We mesh great," Barzal said. "He's fast, he's a righty, he's smart, so a very easy guy to play with."

Roy said the decision to put Pageau with Barzal and Lee was in part due to their chemistry last year and his desire to not break up the Simon Holmstrom - Cal Ritchie - Anthony Duclair line. Max Tsyplakov is expected to come out of the lineup to accommodate Pageau's return.

The center has 12 points (6G, 6A) through 22 games this season, including a shorthanded OT winner against Vegas.

SOROKIN EXPECTED TO START

Ilya Sorokin was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate and is the expected starter against Vegas. Sorokin was named the NHL's First Star of the Week on Monday after he went 3-0-0 with a 1.33 GAA, .960 SV% and one shutout.

PROJECTED LINES

Emil Heineman – Bo Horvat – Max Shabanov
Anders Lee – Mathew Barzal – JG Pageau
Simon Holmstrom – Cal Ritchie – Anthony Duclair
Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Marc Gatcomb

Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo
Travis Mitchell – Scott Mayfield