Sam Gagner has signed a deal with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, the Edmonton Oilers’ affiliate team. This news doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering the Oilers brought Gagner in on a professional tryout without any expectation that he would play games during pre-season. The plan was to always get him back up to speed after rehabbing an injury and then signing him to a minor-league contract.
With 16 seasons of experience in the NHL under his belt, signed his PTO agreement on August 28 to join their training camp. This was this third stint with the team, many believing it will be his last NHL run as he potentially moves into a different role as an executive when his playing career is over. This is Gagner’s second run in Bakersfield, having previously played four games in 2019 with the club on a conditioning assignment from the Edmonton Oilers.
Jason Gregor of Sports1440 writes, “No guarantee this will lead to NHL contract, but he wants to get back on the ice after hip surgery and see where he is at. Believes he can still contribute on an NHL roster.”
Gagner was originally drafted by the team in 2007. In his previous Oilers tenure until 2013-14, he played 402 games, tallying 88 goals and 158 assists, amounting to 246 points. Gagner later rejoined the Oilers in the 2018-19 season before being traded before the 2020 deadline. In this go-round, he’ll likely provide depth to the Oilers AHL roster, as well as serve as a possible call-up option in the event of an injury.
However, because the Oilers are working on a tight salary cap, their roster size is limited, meaning Gagner may not get a call, even if the team could use him. For example, Connor McDavid was just ruled out for up to two weeks and there’s little the Oilers can do to replace him on the roster, unless they use an emergency call-up, which likely would not include Gagner.
Throughout his career, he has played for teams like Arizona, Philadelphia, Columbus, Vancouver, Detroit, and Winnipeg, amassing an impressive 1,015 regular-season games, with 192 goals and 327 assists, totaling 519 points.
Next: Severity of Connor McDavid’s Injury Revealed, Out 1-2 Weeks
