The Edmonton Oilers and Sam Gagner looked all but certain to be heading to arbitration on Monday morning. 9 AM est came and went with no sign of a deal, so most figured the hearing was actually going to happen. That was until Ryan Rishaug tweeted out the good news that the Oilers and Gagner came to an agreement.
A three year deal worth $4.8 M per season was the result, a deal that includes a NMC in the second year of the contract, a very important detail. The Oilers actually get a pretty good deal here all things considered, and Sam gets that raise and tiny bit of security he was looking for.
One of the rare win-win kind of signings, and one that should help the Oilers quest for a 2014 playoff berth. This deal makes sense for both sides.
For the Oilers, the team is very weak at the center position. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is poised for a big season this year now that he will finally be healthy. His strong offensive ability, combined with the two-way game he showed this past year, makes him a solid top line option. After that however, Edmonton has a lot of question marks.
Re-signing Gagner gives Edmonton their second line center for the next few seasons. Gagner has scored 40 points every year in his career, with the exception of the 48 game season, where he was on pace for 63 points if it where a full season. Gagner has potential to be a 50-60 point player every season, and will add to what appears to be a dangerous Oilers attack.
He’s been through the darkest time of on-ice results in Oilers history, and as been one of the only bright spots from the era. Gagner has emerged as a leader on this team too, which can’t be underestimated. The Oilers also got arguably their most character-filled forward re-signed too.
What I mean by that, is that Gagner has that compete level that MacT has been talking about since April. Sam is one of the few guys that can never be questioned for effort and compete, as he brings it every night. He’s a stand-up guy, and is willing to take blame for a bad game, something rare in today’s pro sports world.
The thing that sticks out to me is how he stands up for himself and his teammates no matter what. I’ll never forget a game against the Ducks where Edmonton was getting crushed, and then Sam just finally lost it and went after a bigger player on Anaheim (Who’s name escapes me right now).
To get a guy like Gagner, who is a solid offensive player and a very good play-maker, signed at a fair term and dollar value is a big step forward for Edmonton. It completes the top six for this season, and most likely for next year too. Gagner will no doubt be a big part of this team,and getting him locked up to a fair deal for both sides is good news.
Overall, I like this move for MacT. He gets an important leader who has all the intangibles this team wants, who is also a solid offensive player and plays a big role. Can’t really argue with Mac’s work here.
There are holes and weak spots to Sam’s game, sure. I too wish he was a little bit bigger, better in the face-off circle, and had a better two-way game, but it is what it is. The hope is that a new system under Dallas Eakins can help improve that two-way game. Even if it doesn’t improve, he’s still a top six forward at the NHL level, something rare.
I’ll be back later on this evening with a few random thoughts on what might be next for the Oilers. Yes, I do believe they are still looking to make moves. The summer of Craig lives on….
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