Bye Bye Sam?

According to CBC’s Elliotte Friedman, the Edmonton Oilers have center Sam Gagner “out there” on the trade market right now and he could be the first domino to fall in the coming changes in Edmonton. Make no mistake, there will be changes in Edmonton.

The Oilers have just a handful wins and we are more than half way through the season. It’s been a total nightmare and is the exact opposite of what most expected this season, which was the long awaited Oilers breakthrough. It’s been a step back, and changes will be made. I suspect there will be a lot, possibly ten, new faces in Oilers jerseys next September.

This is an interesting thing to ponder. The Oilers re-signed Gagner to a three year deal this past July, and the deal includes a NTC in the second year, along with a verbal commitment from MacTavish that Gagner wouldn’t get moved by the team. MacTavish spoke very highly of Gagner this summer, and even named him as one of the players in the core back in April when he took over.

So, what’s changed with Gagner and the Oilers?

Well, it’s simple. The season has gone down the tubes. It was supposed to be the year Edmonton went from young and rebuilding to playoff contendors. That hasn’t happened, and the Oilers have taken a step back. The team also has realized they need to change the mix, and need some diversity in their top-six. The team isn’t moving Hall, or RNH, or Eberle, and probably not Perron either. That leaves Gagner out of the mix.

Gagner himself has taken a step back too. His offense is around his career averages, but he’s defensive game has taken major steps back, and he’s been a huge liability this year for Edmonton. Gagner has struggled mightily in Eakins’ system, and it doesn’t look like he has a long term fit here.

Add in the factor that Edmonton will eventually need a second line center with some size and defensive play, and it’s understandable why this is coming out right now.

“The Oilers are trying to do things to improve their team. Craig MacTavish did promise (Gagner) they would not deal him. I think if it does happen, they w
ill try to work with him to a situation he will be happy in if he does move on from the Oilers.”

The quote above was from Friedman, this coming after host Ron McLean mentioned that the first shoe to fall in Edmonton could be coming soon. Friedman also added that for the first time, they are hearing Gagner’s name out there in trade talks.

Who Could It Be?:

We’ve heard the Maple Leafs here before, and they could still use a center. Would they still be interested? I’m not sure, but you have to figure the Leafs are a team that might jump in here. The New Jersey Devils might look at Gagner, and rumor has it they have in recent months. Buffalo is looking for offense, and could be willing to part with some sort of defender to get this done.

I also wouldn’t rule out the New York Islanders or the Florida Panthers.

A Possible Return?:

So what could the return for Gagner be? I’d be shocked if it wasn’t a defender. If it’s the Maple Leafs, I could see either Cody Franson or Jake Gardiner coming back, although Edmonton would have to include something in addition to Gagner to get Gardiner in my mind. Dmitry Kulikov could be a possible target in Florida, but I would wonder if center Shawn Matthias would be a better fit.

The Islanders have pending UFA Andrew MacDonald, while the Devils have guys like Mark Fayne and Andy Greene. I suspect the return for Sam Gagner would be less than Oilers fans imagine, but I’m also willing to bet that an NHL player will be coming back in return. Craig MacTavish must start molding his roster.

Overall, I think we’ve now realized that Gagner doesn’t fit long term in Edmonton, and that the days of the Sam Gagner era could be coming to an end. Part of me wonders if it happens sooner rather than later too. The moves will be coming in Edmonton sooner rather than later, will Gagner be the first shoe to fall? We’ll find out soon.