Sam Gagner and the Edmonton Oilers avoided arbitration today by signing a 1yr, $3.2mil deal. Who won it? Oilers, clearly. The contract is at an affordable price, and one year is what they wanted. Sammy sadly did not get the three years or longer he was seeking.
Do I like the deal? Not really. It makes me think Gagner isn't in the Oilers long-term plans. Although, and this is a fair consideration, the ball is in Gagner's court now. If he puts up impressive numbers, he will get a long-term deal next summer, and he will work himself into the Oilers long-term future. If he has another sub-50pts season filled with hot and cold flashes, he's as good as gone.
Let's be honest here: The Oilers next season are going to miss the playoffs and will be drafting in the Top 10 again. The good news for the Oilers going into the 2013 NHL Draft is the bad news for Gagner - It's a draft that is absolutely stacked with quality centers. I can't see the Oilers finishing in the Bottom 2 again, so you can forget about MacKinnon. But how about the Oilers drafting Curtis Lazar? Adding Lazar to be the future #2 center spells curtains for Gags in Edmonton.
For 2012/2013 at least, the 2nd line will be centered by Sam Gagner. His most likely wingers will be Taylor Hall and Nail Yakupov. As the saying goes, it could be worse.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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