The date was February 8th, 2012.
The lowly Edmonton Oilers were playing host to a powerhouse Chicago Blackhawks team in a game that no one would have given a second thought about.
It started off as everyone expected it would, with the Hawks grabbing a 2-0 lead 40 seconds into the second period, but then history was made. In the greatest 40 minutes of his life, Sam Gagner adorning the #89 jersey, cemented himself alongside legendary names such as Gretzky and Coffey. The former first-round draft pick of the Oilers collected an astounding 4 goals and 4 assists to complete a surprising come-from-behind rout of the Hawks. It was a night of shock and awe for the Oil Country faithful but, since then, not much has happened in the career of Gagner.
After his historic 8-point-night, Gagner would go on to play one more season with Edmonton before being flipped to Tampa Bay for the shortly-lived Teddy Purcell. He would have an illustrious 60 minutes with the Lightning before being flipped to Arizona. Since then he has been trading jerseys with a number of teams. He would be traded to the Philidelphia Flyers shortly after the conclusion of the 2014/15 season. Most recently, however, he has found a comfortable home with the Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring a career high 50pts in 81 games this past season.
It seems as though Gagner has found something special with the Jackets but, with an expiring contract, he is bound for free agency on July 1st. Could the former Oilers young gun make a return to Edmonton to add depth at the center position?
Why Is He Out There?:
The One-year contract that the Columbus Blue Jackets signed Gagner to last summer was the 28-year-old’s last shot at the NHL. With a measly cap-hit of 650k, he was tagged with the task of proving his worth at the NHL level one last time. While it paid off extremely well for the Jackets, it seems as though Gagner is using his newfound success to secure a higher paying contract elsewhere. In a report from the Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline, Sam Gagner is expected to test the free agency waters come July 1st.
Nothing definitive, but sense coming out of today is that #CBJ RW Sam Gagner and D Kyle Quincey will test free agency this summer.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) April 25, 2017
While a return to Columbus is still very much in the cards, many teams will be lining up to give Gagner the raise that he is looking for.
What Does He Do Well?:
Sam Gagner, as we know from his time here in Edmonton, does have a knack for the offensive side of the game. He has had his fair share of struggles in the past but he seems to have found his scoring touch once again in Columbus, as proven by his career high 50pts.
He provides good forward depth and can be effective when utilized in the correct role. A good way to describe Gagner is that he is a sort of a
“niche” type of player. While he doesn’t add the flash of the more premier players in the league, he can produce at an effective pace when placed in a sheltered offensive position.
Gagner found a lot of success on the power-play this season, scoring 18pts on the top unit for the Jackets, and could prove to be an exceptional addition to a budding Edmonton team.
Overall, Gagner is a secondary scorer that will provide a useful offensive presence if you can find his niche within the lineup.
Where Will He Play/Where Should He Play?:
Gagner has the skill to be a 3rd line center in the NHL right now, and at his absolute best he can prove to be a serviceable second line center. However, this might be a problem if he does decide to come to Edmonton.
As it currently stands, the Oilers do not have a noticeable weakness at the center position. With two young superstars, McDavid and Draisaitl, most likely anchoring the top 6, a former 1st overall pick, RNH, manning the third line, and two experienced veterans, Mark Letestu and David Desharnais, battling it out for the fourth-line job, Gagner will be hard-pressed to play where he probably should in the NHL.
Of course, this could all become much more clear if Peter Chiarelli decides to ship out RNH, but that is a discussion for another day.
Realistically, Sam Gagner is a third-line center that might be able to push himself into the top 6 from time to time. Barring any moves from Edmonton, he is looking like a perennial bottom 6 player unless injuries plague Edmonton.
What Will He Cost?:
As I have alluded to many times throughout this article, Gagner is due for a big raise. His $650,000 cap-hit last season proved to be a massive bargain for Columbus and Gagner will be looking to cash in on his career year. He now carries the title of a 50pt scorer and that will only raise his value on the open market.
He will definitely be making north of 1-million-per-year but, I can’t see Gagner taking home any more per-year than 2.5 million. Sure, he had a fantastic season by his standard but one good season doesn’t warrant any more than what he is probably worth in the long-run.
Speaking of the long-run, I think Gagner will be looking for a long-term deal somewhere. Job security is something you can never have enough of and considering how much he has bounced around the league in recent years, I imagine Gagner will be looking to find a long-term home for the time being.
A deal that I think would be suitable for Gagner would be something like a 3-year-deal with an AAV of 2.5 million. Of course, it’s not called free agent frenzy for anything, so nobody really knows what teams will throw at him come July 1st.
Closing Argument:
While you can’t deny that Sam Gagner would provide to be a useful secondary scorer on the Edmonton Oilers, I can’t really see a place for him to play in the lineup. As I mentioned, the team is chalked full of capable centers that I wouldn’t rank Gagner ahead of. You could make the argument of moving him to the wing….but that didn’t work out too well when he was in Edmonton.
He has rejuvenated his career this past season and is in the position to choose where he plays next. Unfortunately, I don’t think there will be interest from either side for a reunion. Edmonton will most likely look elsewhere if they decide to throw money at a centerman.
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