OVERNIGHT SENSATION?
Lowetide
January 15 2013 05:49PM
It's early, but Sam Gagner's spot on the depth chart isn't clouded by injury, old timey coaching or worries over what he doesn't bring to the dance. Dave Gagner's boy may be poised for a big season.
A year ago, Sam Gagner missed opening night and the 6 games afterward, joining the battle in G7 against the NY Rangers on October 22nd. He played RW alongside Eric Belanger and Magnus Paajarvi, and was 2-0 at evens according to Dennis King scoring chances. Gagner spent large portions of last season outside the feature lines, and didn't score a goal his 20th game of the season. Gagner's splits suggest a very uneven season, and his pre and post All-Star performances reflect it:
- Pre All-Star game: 42, 5-16-21 -4 (.5 points-per-game)
- Post All-Star game: 33, 13-13-26 +9 (.788 points-per-game)
Gagner had excellent timing a year ago, scoring an amazing 8-points in one night against Chicago during a period where his name was mentioned in trade rumors. He is 23 years old, a veteran of 366 NHL games, improved markedly in the faceoff circle and in plus minus compared to team.
SAM GAGNER 11-12
- 5×5 points per 60: 1.96 (4th among regular forwards)
- 5×4 points per 60: 3.66 (6th among regular forwards)
- Qual Comp: 8th toughest among regular forwards
- Qual Team: 6th best teammates among regular forwards
- Corsi Rel: 6.3 (4th best among regular forwards)
- Zone Start: 54.1% (4th easiest among regular forwards)
- Zone Finish: 51.8% (4th best among regular forwards)
- Shots on goal/percentage: 149/12.1% (5th among F’s>100 shots)
- Boxcars: 75, 18-29-47
- Plus Minus: +5 on a team that was -26
This week in training camp, coach Krueger has Samwise between Ales Hemsky and Nail Yakupov: two elite passers and the Kalashnikov Machinegun. As consolation wingers, Hemmer and the Nail are stunning, and 89 should be able to find chemistry with these two--certainly better chem than he had last season in the Belanger-Paajarvi days.
KRUEGER!
Pat Quinn never did figure out Samwise and Tom Renney had his moments too. Ralph Krueger appears to mark the return of 'rational thinking' behind the Oilers bench, and placing Gagner between Ales Hemsky and Nail Yakupov is a very good sign. That trio should also get plenty of PP time on the #2PP unit (Horcoff and Hartikainen appear to be getting the push onto the #1PP with the whiz kids) and one expects a pretty good secondary unit to grow out of such a talented bunch.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
Sam Gagner is still a young hockey player and should have a decade or more playing a huge role on an NHL team. For the first time in awhile, it looks like the coach is onside with Kevin Lowe and management in terms of Sam Gagner's best role: a skill center on a skill line. No more Belanger-Paajarvi, or so we hope.
One of the 2 centers on winning teams has a Selke potential winner.
That why going after Ryan O'Reilly would be huge.
If neither of your top two lines can take on tough competition, you're going to lose...a lot.
Opposition coaches will line match and, if all you have to send over the boards is Horcoff (-23), you're going to get killed.
There's a reason the Oilers finished 29th last season.
@Mikey
Your probably right the word "sandpaper" is the wrong word but grit isn't.
Totally agree.
Plus he has O.K. to good trade value.
He's the 2nd best option in the middle for us right now. He is an offensive minded player and since he has been an Oiler, he has never been given the push to play with talented players like he will this season. Hopefully, Sammy can bring it from start to finish this season and really form a solid second line with the Hemmer and the Nail.
Hey I don't disagree with you as far as strong centers for Cup runs. However, we haven't seen either RNH or Gagner play in the playoffs yet. You never know how some play in the playoffs. Until the Bruins won, did anyone think that Bergeron and Kreji could bring home a Cup? Patrick Sharp?
It still comes down to total team play but yes strong centers is a key component. I just don't understand people who want to replace Gagner with another center who also have never won a Cup.
@The poster formerly known as Koolaid drinker #33
Bilbo
Bergeron one of the best centers in the world, he did play for Canada in the Olympics. Selke winner.
Sharp is a talented scorer but they had best player in the world that year Toews did everything. They also had a great 3rd line center. They had too much talent that year.
@DSF
Yeah this is a new year, the all rookie line wont have difficulties this year against the top lines in the west. I think the reason why other teams avoided their top line against Gagner's last year was they had an all rookie line to target. This year Nugents line is more likely to draw the checking line, as last year Gagner's line was getting the checkers.
Question though DSF think when I tried hulu plus it told me that it recognized my CC was Canadian and would not let me sign up.
This discussion over Gagner is the same every time. This is his time to show he can do more or he won't be here past the trade deadline. There is a reason he got the contract term he got.
Question: how many would trade Gagner for a signed Ryan O'Rielly + right now?
He should be called Zamboni...... Because he is cleaning the ice every other shift.
If he cannot make hay with the Hammer and the Nail. He can't do it with anyone. It is a put up or GTFO year for Sam.
@Shaun
what? ...unless I missed some joke from earlier comments, that is!
Call me an optimist, but based on how Slammin' Sammy is looking right now I'll guess he's on his way to a 70 point season or so - barring injury, of course. And yes, you can hold me to it at the end of the season, too.
I'll be going to the practice again today, but man he looks good - he's just 'on' and I agree with L.T. here, he's looking poised to 'break out'! :)
Love the Hemmer & Nail combination, too! :D
Over time, Gagner will show just how important he is to this team. We need a #2 centre, and he has proven to be a pretty good one. He's only a year older than Eberle, and he's picked up his faceoff % while Eberle has worked on his Shooting %. That being said, this is too short a season for him to be breaking the "50 point" threshold...
Fist?
@Jefff
Sandpaper???? The only guy on your list that has any true grit is Richards! The rest are all highly competitive and extremely skilled - both traits that I think Gagner has just not at the level that those guys display consistently. But he also hasn't had the teammates/line mates that those guys have had the fortune of playing with throughout their NHL careers. I think this will be a telling year of what Gagner can truly be. If you look at Patrick Sharpe's career, he didn't even play regularly in the NHL until he was 24 and never broke the 40 point barrier until he was 25 - Gagner deserves another year or 2 to see what he can do.
Sandpaper???? The only guy on your list that has any true grit is Richards! The rest are all highly competitive and extremely skilled - both traits that I think Gagner has just not at the level that those guys display consistently. But he also hasn't had the teammates/line mates that those guys have had the fortune of playing with throughout their NHL careers. I think this will be a telling year of what Gagner can truly be. If you look at Patrick Sharpe's career, he didn't even play regularly in the NHL until he was 24 and never broke the 40 point barrier until he was 25 - Gagner deserves another year or 2 to see what he can do.
I set up a U.S. iTunes account, loaded it up with U.S. iTunes gift cards and paid that way.
No problem.
You can buy the gift cards on eBay
i'm a gagner fan,gives all he's got,works hard to improve his game,getting better every year at face-offs,willing to drop the gloves when need be,and he is still a young man,a couple years and 15 lbs. and he will be a hand full
It will be interesting to see how the opposition spreads its defence between out top two lines. Should get everyone a little more room on the ice. Thats what having a legit top six will do, it'll spread out the oppositions defence. May even see some decent production from our third line if this is the case. I'm not a fan of putting out our checking line against the other teams best line as it takes away icetime from our top lines. Put our best line against theirs and see how they matchup.
Go Oilers!
And -- for Sam to be either 5'10" OR 200 lbs -- they're counting some of him twice, or he's carrying 20+ pounds of Tim-bits.
@DSF
Thank you sir, for that Itunes tip.
...are you the least bit excited about Oilers camp this week. Eberle is a half a step quicker this year, a number of the wiley types (veterans) are due to have good years?
I know, every yr starts out with this type of optimism, doesn't it.
Are you going to enter this yrs Lucky 13 pool?
Excited for hockey in general.
Most interested in the fortunes of the Wild and Blues since I've become much more a fan of smart GM's as opposed to any particular team.
Starting to think STL is my odds on favourite to win the cup.
LOL.
I expect you're correct.
What ever Sam weighs and his height it is all relative to at minimum his team maybe the whole league.
Look at him stand next to Eberle. Hall. Yak. They all seem to be comparative in sizes to what they listed. If he is not 5'11" than neither is eberle. Hall is not 6'0" 1/2 etc.
At 195 his is definitely one of the more bulky players on the team for his height.
Gagner + for O'Reilly? I think I would take that deal...
@gcw_rocks
It looks like they're about to get some teams 1st and 3rd round picks instead.
If Sam can work on his foot speed and go back to using the many moves he had in his game when he first started........he will easily score 60 + points.
I'm not sure which coach ( Quinn or Renny ) stifiled his offensive game, but he changed the way he played after his first year.
This guy has heart,soul, and courage. We should not forget he is only 23!
I hope he loses some of that weight through the season, that's getting to be quite heavy for someone of his height. It could become an injury risk.
I have the same concern for Nuge. He should be about 175 and holding (perhaps heavier at the start of the season to compensate for lost weight by the end).
Sam is the worst defensive center in the league and has been for 5 years. After 5 years he still has no idea where to be in his own end or what to do. It's amazing a guy with this lack of defensive skills made the NHL. Sams smallest on the team.