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Sam Gagner

Oilers Sign Sam Gagner To Two-Way Deal, Mattias Janmark Day-To-Day

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4:02 p.m.: Edmonton has made the contract official, issuing an announcement via Twitter/X Tuesday afternoon.

2:40 p.m.: The Oilers have signed veteran forward Sam Gagner to a one-year deal, per PuckPedia. The deal carries a $775K cap hit and will pay him $250K in the minors.

This essentially amounts to a call-up in place of depth winger Adam Erne, who the Oilers placed on waivers earlier today. Gagner attended Edmonton’s training camp on a PTO but was not initially signed to an NHL contract, instead signing an AHL contract with the Oilers’ affiliate in Bakersfield while he completed his recovery from hip surgery undergone in March. As such, this contract will not be registered with the league until tomorrow. The Oilers have $429,766 in current cap space, per CapFriendly, and will need to assign Erne to the minors to clear the space for Gagner’s contract.

The 34-year-old, once a sixth-overall pick by the Oilers in 2007, looked no worse for wear in three contests with AHL Bakersfield over the last week. The Condors won by at least three goals in every game in which Gagner played, and he tallied two multi-point efforts en route to a goal, four assists and a +4 rating.

Gagner is likely to make his 2023-24 Oilers debut on Thursday against Dallas, playing on an undermanned fourth line with Derek Ryan as the team ices 11 forwards and seven defensemen while Mattias Janmark is on the shelf with a shoulder injury. Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft told media today that Janmark’s timeline is day-to-day after he missed last Sunday’s Heritage Classic (via Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic).

That will kick off Gagner’s third stint with the Oilers in his 16-season, 1,015-game NHL career. His first lasted seven seasons and 481 games from draft day in 2007 until the 2014 offseason, when the Oilers traded Gagner to the Lightning for winger Teddy Purcell. He would never play a game for the Lightning, however, as they flipped him to the Coyotes (along with enforcer B.J. Crombeen) in exchange for a sixth-round pick the same day.

Gagner would then bounce around the NHL, playing for four teams (the Coyotes, Flyers, Blue Jackets, and Canucks) in the next four seasons. His point output varied to just 16 in 53 games with the Flyers in 2015-16, earning him a brief demotion to the AHL, to a career-high 50 in 81 games the following season with Columbus.

In 2018-19, his second season with the Canucks, Gagner was again demoted to the AHL to begin the season, spending most of the campaign outside the organization on loan to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. That changed on February 16, 2019, when the Canucks traded him back to the Oilers in exchange for forward Ryan Spooner. Gagner’s second stint with Edmonton helped re-establish his NHL career, as he remained on the NHL roster for the remainder of the season and registered ten points in 25 games.

His time in Alberta would be short-lived this time around, however. Just a few days after the one-year anniversary of his re-acquisition, the Oilers shipped out Gagner at the trade deadline to the Red Wings in a deal for forward Andreas Athanasiou. Gagner would spend the following two seasons after the COVID pause in the Motor City, providing solid depth production and a needed veteran presence on a struggling team. He signed as a free agent with the Jets for the 2022-23 campaign, where he scored eight goals and added six assists for 14 points in 48 games before hip surgery shut down his season.

Now fully recovered, he’ll look to once again bring a solid bottom-six game to Edmonton. He may not have the offensive ceiling of the player who once notched eight points in a game for Edmonton in the early 2010s, but he has a well-rounded offensive skill set that helps drive play further down on the depth chart. He’s posted positive relative possession numbers over the past three seasons with the Red Wings and Jets and should be an upgrade over Erne, who was without a point in six games and had posted a staggering relative Corsi share of -10.7% at even strength.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Sam Gagner Signs AHL Contract

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Former Edmonton Oilers forward Sam Gagner has reportedly signed a contract with the team’s AHL affiliate the Bakersfield Condors and will join the team. The veteran of over 1,000 NHL games was on a tryout with the Oilers but was unable to dress for any preseason games during training camp after signing his PTO in late August.

The 34-year-old has suited up for seven different NHL teams over the course of his 16-year NHL career and will return to the AHL for the first time since 2019-20 when he coincidently also played for the Condors.

This is Gagner’s third run with the Oilers organization after they drafted him in the first round, sixth overall in the 2007 NHL entry draft. Although he never lived up to the promise he showed as an 18-year-old when he posted 13 goals and 36 assists in 79 games, he has a solid career with 519 points in 1,015 games.

Gagner is trying to get back to the NHL after undergoing double hip surgery in March of this year which led to him missing the end of last year as well as the preseason. He was a decent depth option with the Winnipeg Jets last year posting eight goals and six assists in 48 games while playing just 12 minutes a night. But, if he can perform anywhere close to his 2021-22 numbers in which he posted 31 points in 81 games with the Detroit Red Wings, he could give himself a real shot to earn a pro-rated NHL deal this season. Especially with the Oilers, who have struggled to find any kind of depth to start the season.

Gagner will take some time to work himself into game shape, but this isn’t unchartered waters for the London, Ontario native as he has been down the AHL road before on three separate occasions. As mentioned earlier, Gagner spent part of the 2019-20 season in the AHL, as well as 43 games with the Toronto Marlies in 2018-19 and a nine-game stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the 2015-16 season.

Players Still On Training Camp Tryouts

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While there have been many players who had been in training camps on tryout deals cut over the past week or so, there are quite a few whose fates have not yet been determined.  Here’s a rundown of players who are still on PTO agreements with their respective teams.

Boston Bruins

F Danton Heinen

Edmonton Oilers

F Adam Erne
F Sam Gagner

Gagner did not play in the preseason as he works his way back from hip surgery.

Florida Panthers

F Brett Ritchie

New York Islanders

F Jackson Cates

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Libor Hajek
D Mark Pysyk
F Austin Wagner

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Austin Watson

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Noah Gregor

Vegas Golden Knights

F Max Comtois

Some of these players will likely receive an NHL contract but cap-strapped teams will wait until it’s absolutely necessary to convert them to a guaranteed deal, either to optimize their LTIR pool or to try to save a day or two worth of cap space.  Meanwhile, other teams could also come calling if a waiver target doesn’t make it to them.  One way or the other, their fates will likely be decided soon.

West Notes: Askarov, Gagner, Eberle

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Back at the draft, there was some speculation that the Predators were offering up goaltender Yaroslav Askarov in an effort to move up.  GM Barry Trotz acknowledged to Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean that he did put the 21-year-old in play back in June, citing a desire to draft (or acquire) an impact young center but obviously, that didn’t come to fruition.  It shouldn’t be construed that with him being available then that he’s available now, however.  Trotz said there’s no reason in his mind why the team couldn’t carry Juuse Saros and Askarov as a tandem for the long haul.  It’s a decision that’s still a couple of years away as Saros has two years left on his deal while Askarov is likely to need a couple more years in the AHL before being NHL-ready.

More from the Western Conference:

  • While Sam Gagner is looking to earn a third stint with the Oilers, he has a tough hill to climb as Postmedia’s Jim Matheson relays that the veteran won’t play in the preseason. Gagner is still working his way back from hip surgery and his doctor has only recommended that he be allowed to practice for the next few weeks.  The 34-year-old has expressed an openness to starting the year with AHL Bakersfield and since he won’t be able to make his case for a roster spot in exhibition action, the Condors seem like the most probable landing spot for him.
  • Kraken winger Jordan Eberle would welcome a contract extension, notes Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. The 33-year-old says he has made his stance known about his desire to remain with Seattle and it’s certainly understandable why that’s the case as has had two quality seasons since being picked in the expansion draft.  Eberle is coming off a 21-goal, 63-point campaign which could have him in line for a small raise on his current $5.5MM AAV if he gets an early extension from GM Ron Francis.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Sam Gagner To PTO

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The Edmonton Oilers are open to bringing veteran forward Sam Gagner back for a third stint with the team, as they’ve signed him to a professional tryout today. The team also confirmed the previously reported PTO for center Brandon Sutter, who’s missed the last two seasons with long COVID symptoms.

Gagner, 34, is not the player the Oilers envisioned they were getting when they selected him sixth overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. However, he remains a serviceable 13th forward on his worst day and a consistent bottom-six presence on his best. He played last season in a Winnipeg Jets uniform, missing the last few weeks of the 2022-23 season due to a hip injury. He managed to get into 48 games while playing a solid leadership role, however, recording eight goals and 14 points while posting quite advantageous possession metrics, something he’s done routinely over the years despite playing on some subpar teams – he’s made the playoffs just twice in his 16-year, 1,015-game career.

He was coming off a solid campaign with the Detroit Red Wings in 2021-22, playing in 81 of 82 games whilst recording 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points. He’s been a solid bet for somewhere between 30 and 45 points through most of his career. At this stage, that’s not likely (especially given the limited bottom-six role he might play in Edmonton), but he is a dependable presence who’s managed to consistently avoid being a liability.

The Oilers’ biggest question mark regarding roster construction lies at the fourth-line center spot, which is quickly becoming rather obvious by signing a pair of candidates for the position to PTOs. There’s also Lane Pederson in the mix for the job, who they signed to a two-year, league-minimum one-way deal on July 1. AHL veteran Brad Malone, who recorded 21 points in 41 games with the Bakersfield Condors last season, could make a run for a full-time NHL role for the first time since 2015-16 as well.

Gagner will need to make himself known during training camp, then, as it’s evident space is limited on the Oilers’ roster, and they’re keeping their options open for the few spots that do remain. However, a cursory look labels him as the best option for the job, and there’s a level of familiarity between him, the Oilers, and GM Ken Holland that could play to his advantage

Examining Maple Leafs Bargain Bin Free Agent Targets

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Joshua Kloke of The Athletic wrote an article today highlighting seven bargain bin free agent targets that could help the Toronto Maple Leafs next season. The Maple Leafs currently sit about $2MM over the salary cap despite putting Jake Muzzin and Matt Murray on LTIR for next year, making it difficult to imagine Toronto doing much shopping in free agency unless they sign two-way deals or move out a contract. The names on the list were interesting, and certainly, they reflect the Maple Leafs’ salary cap predicament.

The most interesting name on Kloke’s list was three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews. Much speculation has been made this off-season about the future of Toews as he has battled health issues the past few seasons and may be leaning towards retirement. Toews was effective last year, albeit in limited action as he dressed in just 53 games and put up 15 goals and 16 assists. The former captain of the Chicago Blackhawks doesn’t have much to play for at this point, but if he were to choose the Maple Leafs as a destination, he could slide into a similar role that Jason Spezza and Joe Thornton had when they arrived in Toronto a few years ago. Toews could be a very effective fourth-line center for Toronto even at this point in his career, but one must wonder if wants to.

Zach Aston-Reese was another name on the list and is coming off a season in which he scored a career-high 10 goals with Toronto. By all accounts, Aston-Reese was well-liked in Toronto and was effective for them in a fourth-line role. We profiled the Staten Island, New York native just days ago in our Free Agent Profile series and highlighted that the 28-year-old has some of the best defensive analytics in the league but offers very little offensively.

Another name on the list was a young reclamation project and that is 25-year-old Jesse Puljujarvi. The right-winger is coming off a very disappointing season in which he scored just five goals and was dumped by the Edmonton Oilers in a cap-cutting move last year. Puljujarvi has been a disappointment in his young career after getting drafted fourth overall in 2016. He has just 51 goals and 63 assists in 334 NHL games but is just a year removed from a 36-point season in 2021-22. The Maple Leafs would probably be a good landing spot for Puljujarvi as he could play in more of a sheltered role in Toronto and wouldn’t be relied upon to provide much offence. On the flip side of that, he struggled to play with skilled players like Connor McDavid, which leads to speculation about whether he’d be able to play with any of Toronto’s skilled forwards.

The most realistic target for the Maple Leafs on the list was center Derick Brassard. Brassard entered last season on a professional tryout with the Ottawa Senators and put up decent numbers in limited playing time. The 35-year-old had 13 goals and 10 assists in 62 games while averaging just 12 minutes of ice time per game. It’s possible that Brassard might also elect to retire, but he did express a desire to keep playing at the end of last year. He also enjoyed playing closer to home having grown up in Hull, Quebec, which is just across the river from Ottawa. Should Brassard want to stay close to family, Toronto would make sense. From the Maple Leafs’ perspective, there is no harm in bringing in a veteran like Brassard on a one-year deal for the league minimum. He would give them a scoring option in the bottom six who can fill in at center, and they could bury his contract in the minors without penalty should things not work out.

The other names on Kloke’s list were defensemen Ethan Bear and Scott Harrington, as well as forward Sam Gagner. Harrington is a former Maple Leaf and could offer some depth on the backend, while Bear is expected to miss a significant chunk of the year and would be a mid-season addition. Gagner could offer the Leafs some depth scoring on the fourth line and is close with John Taveres from their days playing in London. Perhaps a return home could be possible for the 33-year-old Gagner.

Snapshots: Gagner, Aubry, Blue Jackets, Howard

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Free agent forward Sam Gagner is back on the ice rehabbing after undergoing double hip surgery late last season, relays Murat Ates of The Athletic (subscription link).  The 33-year-old was injured at the end of February but had provided Winnipeg with a bit of depth scoring prior to that point as Gagner had eight goals and six assists in 48 games.  Gagner already has more than 1,000 career NHL appearances under his belt and doesn’t appear to be ready to call it a career just yet.  Considering the year he had and the recovery from injury, Gagner might have to settle for a training camp PTO in the coming weeks with the hopes of converting it to a full-fledged deal closer to the start of the season.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The University of Nebraska-Omaha announced that they have hired now-former Blackhawks development coach Peter Aubry as their associate coach. The 46-year-old spent the last eight seasons in Chicago’s organization, working with goaltenders at both the NHL and AHL levels.  It won’t be Aubry’s first time behind the bench at the college level as he previously served as an assistant with both Mercyhurst and Lake Superior State.
  • The Blue Jackets aren’t planning to replace former coach Kenny McCudden, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). McCudden spent the past eight seasons as a skills coach with Columbus but resigned earlier this month to join Washington as an assistant coach.  Mike Babcock (head coach) and Niklas Backstrom (goalie coach) are the newcomers to their coaching staff, joining holdovers Pascal Vincent (associate coach) and Steve McCarthy (assistant coach).
  • Lightning prospect Isaac Howard was one of the most prominent players in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, moving from Minnesota-Duluth to Michigan State. Speaking with NHL.com’s Corey Long, the 2022 31st selection indicated that he wanted to go to a more offensive-oriented environment which he felt would be a better fit.  Tampa Bay assistant GM Stacy Roest added that Howard didn’t consult with the team prior to the decision but that they’re hopeful that the Spartans will be a better fit for the 19-year-old after he put up just six goals and 11 assists last season.

Nominees Announced For 2023 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy

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The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The Professional Hockey Writers’ Association has voted on the award since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2023.

Past winners of the award include Carey Price (2022), Oskar Lindblom (2021), Bobby Ryan (2020), Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), and Jaromir Jagr (2016).

Below are the nominees from each team:

Anaheim Ducks – Jakob Silfverberg

Arizona Coyotes – Clayton Keller

Boston Bruins – Nick Foligno

Buffalo Sabres – Craig Anderson

Calgary Flames – Mikael Backlund

Carolina Hurricanes – Jordan Martinook

Chicago Blackhawks – Alex Stalock

Colorado Avalanche – Andrew Cogliano

Columbus Blue Jackets – Boone Jenner

Dallas Stars – Jamie Benn

Detroit Red Wings – Robby Fabbri

Edmonton Oilers – Derek Ryan

Florida Panthers – Patric Hornqvist

Los Angeles Kings – Pheonix Copley

Minnesota Wild – Mason Shaw

Montreal Canadiens – Alex Belzile

Nashville Predators – Cody Glass

New Jersey Devils – Dougie Hamilton

New York Islanders – Zach Parise

New York Rangers – Jimmy Vesey

Ottawa Senators – Derick Brassard

Philadelphia Flyers – Nick Seeler

Pittsburgh Penguins – Kris Letang

San Jose Sharks – Nikolai Knyzhov

Seattle Kraken – Brandon Tanev

St. Louis Blues – Sammy Blais

Tampa Bay Lightning – Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

Toronto Maple Leafs – Mark Giordano

Vancouver Canucks – Brock Boeser

Vegas Golden Knights – Phil Kessel

Washington Capitals – John Carlson

Winnipeg Jets – Sam Gagner

Jets Notes: Morrissey, Dubois, Gagner

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Dan Robertson of TSN reports the Winnipeg Jets will have an impact player back in the lineup this evening. Josh Morrissey missed the Jets past two games after leaving early against the Florida Panthers last Saturday. He had been listed as day-to-day all week, but is ready to go tonight when the Jets face a tough test against the league-leading Boston Bruins.

Morrissey has had a tremendous season, scoring 15 goals and 67 points in 66 games. The 27 year old is a candidate to win the Norris Trophy for his fantastic play, so the team will be happy to have him back in the lineup. The Jets will need him at the top of his game right away as they have slipped to the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference. They are just four points ahead of the Nashville Predators who have played three less games than the Jets.

  • Pierre-Luc Dubois was on the ice at the team’s morning skate, but according to Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet, Dubois will not play tonight. The 24-year-old center has played just one game since February 26, dealing with two separate injuries in that time. It does appear he is getting close to returning, but it will not be this evening.
  • Murat Ates of The Athletic reports Sam Gagner’s season is over. The 33-year-old forward has already had surgery on one hip and will also get surgery on the other side in the near future. Ates mentions it is an injury that Gagner has been dealing with for a while but is now going to get fixed. The veteran forward scored eight goals and 14 points in 48 games for the Jets this season before being shut down on February 28.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Sam Gagner

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The Winnipeg Jets have signed Sam Gagner to a one-year, $750K contract, giving the veteran forward a new home for the upcoming season.

Gagner, 33, will be joining the seventh team in his long, successful career that has resulted in more than 500 points and nearly 1,000 games. Perhaps best known for the incredible eight-point game that he had in 2012, the versatile center has been an effective middle-six player for some time.

Last season was actually something of a renaissance for Gagner after his career appeared to be winding down. In 81 games with the Detroit Red Wings, he scored 13 goals and 31 points while logging more short-handed ice time than any other player on the team.

It’s that penalty-killing prowess that the Jets may be interested in, given they finished 28th last season in that category, allowing a goal 25% of the time. Since they lost Andrew Copp and Paul Stastny, two of their PK centers, there should be plenty of opportunities for Gagner to take over that role.

With Mark Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and Adam Lowry in place down the middle, Gagner may end up playing some wing at even-strength as well, depending on how things shake out. While he has played center a ton in his career, the last few years have seen him line up on the wall quite a bit as well.

It isn’t a real difference-making signing for the Jets but Gagner does represent a nice veteran add on a minimum contract, with the potential for a bit of surplus value if he can fill a need on the everyday roster.

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