Paul Berthelot: Sam Gagner testing free agency and how this impacts the expansion draft Looking at Vegas and Sam Gagner

Why would Vegas not take the free player from Columbus and try to sign Gagner after the 72 hour window? Makes no sense to turn down one of the free unprotected players from Columbus' deep team.

Plenty of free agents to get after the expansion draft, as you said Gagner is not that special.

Gagner will probably be Vegas bound if he asks for anything even close to 4 mill but it will be long after the 72 hour window. No way Vegas passes on the Cbj free player.

Its great he had a career year but the book is out on this guy. He is a third line RW, PP specialist. I would be shocked if Vegas pays him 3 mill especially if given any term.

Sammy will be holding out for big money and term but will probably miss out on both becauseof it.

^^^ I think you're around the range in question here. My assumption would be that if they settle on a reasonable salary with term he would sign before July 1st. Market price Paul mentioned would happen after July 1st, after VGK picked a different player

Paul Berthelot: Sam Gagner testing free agency and how this impacts the expansion draft
Looking at Vegas and Sam Gagner
- Paul Berthelot

I'm curious to find out who's this years reclamation project after gagner

Apparently he wants to play with j.t. with the islanders, and what about vanek for you guys?

Alex,

I am not sure we need one, we have several kids banging on the door to get in next season. While I hate to see him go, better Sam than Josh Anderson or any of the defensemen the CBJ are hoping don't get drafted by Vegas.

According to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch he thinks the CBj is looking to the trade market to upgrade their offense. I am not sure who is on the FA market and nobody else is either, but I would sure like to find a big time goal scorer if there is one out there. We need offense!

Why would Vegas not take the free player from Columbus and try to sign Gagner after the 72 hour window? Makes no sense to turn down one of the free unprotected players from Columbus' deep team.

Plenty of free agents to get after the expansion draft, as you said Gagner is not that special.
- BlackhawkDown

Sounds more like hoping that Vegas takes him as their pick - which I think every non Jackets fan would agree isn't happening unless there's a deal made before hand.

Zero change, imho, that Vegas signs him in that window. It makes very little sense. They can make it clear they are interested and offer him with everybody else with decent chance to sign him if, like you say, money is no issue for Vegas.

After the playoffs, the smart money is for Vegas to draft Karlsson with Jack Johnson a close second. Karlsson was arguably CBJ's best player in the postseason and could very easily fill a 3rd line Center role with Vegas and possibly 2nd line. He's still got a lot of upside in his game. He's also cheap at 1 mil/yr for another year before being RFA. Johnson had a great year and even better playoffs. The dude was a rock. He'd be more expensive a 4.3 mil/yr for Vegas and only signed for 1 more year, but that could also be advantageous to Vegas. Get a guy in the room for a year to help before freeing up cap space.

No matter what happens, CBJ is losing something we'd rather keep imho.

Alex,

I am not sure we need one, we have several kids banging on the door to get in next season. While I hate to see him go, better Sam than Josh Anderson or any of the defensemen the CBJ are hoping don't get drafted by Vegas.

According to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch he thinks the CBj is looking to the trade market to upgrade their offense. I am not sure who is on the FA market and nobody else is either, but I would sure like to find a big time goal scorer if there is one out there. We need offense!
- jkumpire

I think the upgrade will come along once Wennberg is under contract , that's the key piece this off season. What I don't understand are the pundits saying the cbj are up against the cap , but they seem to forget Clarkson's career is probably done and that frees up about 5 million.

I think the upgrade will come along once Wennberg is under contract , that's the key piece this off season. What I don't understand are the pundits saying the cbj are up against the cap , but they seem to forget Clarkson's career is probably done and that frees up about 5 million.
- Alexzanki

Yeah, cap space isn't a problem imho.