Gagner signs one-year deal
Sixth overall draft pick in 2007 signs one-year deal with Oilers
Since making the Edmonton Oilers at 18, Sam Gagner has gone from a three-year contract to a two-year deal to the one-year contract he signed for $3.2 million US on Friday.
But where does the 22-yearold centre fit in the team’s short- and long-term plans?
The sixth overall pick in the 2007 NHL entry draft, Gagner made $2.275 million last season, scoring 18 goals and adding 29 assists in 75 games.
In the short term, Gagner will come to training camp — if we have one with the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement ending Sept. 15 — as the Oilers’ No. 2 centre behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
But with the two sides agreeing only to a one-year contract, just before his arbitration hearing Friday in Toronto, it’s a signal that they couldn’t agree on the money, or the Oilers are not sure if he’s part of their longterm solution. The Oilers said money was the issue.
“Sam’s absolutely part of our core, one of our young guys, still only 22 years old,” Oilers assistant general manger Ricky Olczyk said after giving Gagner a raise of nearly $1 million.
“He’s coming off a career year in goals and that NHL magnificent night of eight points against my native town of Chicago and the Blackhawks. We’re always looking for a longer deal, but right now this is a perfect deal for both sides.”
Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins have generated the most buzz in Edmonton during the last two years, and now Russian Nail Yakupov, the first overall pick in 2012, is on the scene.
But Gagner is the forgotten one. He’s continually sliced and diced by critics because he’s short, doesn’t put up enough points or doesn’t have the pizzazz of the other young players. His name is routinely tossed out in trade talks, almost always for a defenceman.
“You’re always looking for security and I want to be part of things going forward, but at the same time the one year works for both sides,” said Gagner, who can start talking on a longer deal on January 1, 2013.
He will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2014 as per the current CBA (seven years after starting in the NHL), unless the term goes up. The owners would like to see it at 10 years, which the players will certainly fight.
Gagner could have put his fate in an arbitrator’s hands, rolling the dice on getting what David Perron ($3.8-million salary-cap hit) just received from the St. Louis Blue. But arbitration hearings are more about the team pointing out things their player could be better at. They can get messy. So Gagner took the raise before heading out for a workout back east.
“I know that I’m part of the team’s core. I’d like to have got a longer contract, but sometimes it’s about business and how they want to set up the team,” said Gagner. “I want to have a really good year (he’s had 49, 41, 41, 42 and 47-point seasons missing 44 games in that time) and grow along with the guys we have. I want to continue to solidify myself as a good player in the league. We obviously have a lot of skill and we’re growing at the same time. I want to be part of that.”
Gagner knows his name has been out there an awful lot in trade rumours because the Oilers have a surplus of forwards and holes on the back end. After five years, it appears he’s settled into a No. 2 centre slot, but the Oilers would probably like 60 points from him, more than a 44-point average.
“It’s not up to me (trade discussions). I got involved in that (hearing the rumours) last year and it doesn’t help. All I can say is I’m excited to be an Oiler.”
Gagner, who has 220 points in 366 games, second only to Blackhawks star Patrick Kane among the 2007 drafted players, got a high ankle-sprain in camp last fall and predictably started the season slowly. He then had the incredible run of points in February, but the production stalled in the last few weeks (two points in his last seven games) of the season.
“I went through stretches where I had really good point totals and other stretches where I was cold,” said Gagner, admitting his consistency has to get better, even though he had 47 points last year, fourth in team scoring, including 35 at even-strength. He also has to stay in one piece.
“I’m healthy, I feel good, mentally, and that’s the most important thing for me, staying focused on the goal (making the playoffs). As a group, we’re trying to find our identity, find which way we’re going. As we continue to grow, it’ll help me improve. I want to lead this team to the playoffs and be a perennial contender.”