Edmonton Oilers recall forwards Sam Gagner and Adam Erne

The Edmonton Oilers have recalled forwards Sam Gagner and Adam Erne from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

The recall was made to allow the club to rest forwards during their Thursday game against the Colorado Avalanche, and both are with the club in Arizona for the Oilers’ game against the Coyotes tonight.

Erne started the season with the Oilers but was placed on waivers and subsequently sent down to the Condors in January. The 28-year-old appeared in 23 games with the Oilers, scoring a goal and an assist, and has played in 35 AHL games since. In them, he’s scored six goals and 12 points.

Gagner, meanwhile, was working his way back from off-season hip surgery and started his year in Bakersfield on a conditioning stint. In the three games he played, he racked up a goal and five points before returning to the Oilers. He was in and out of the Oilers lineup, but was excellent for them when he played, scoring five goals and 10 points in 27 games.

Ahead of the trade deadline, Edmonton placed him on waivers, sending him back to the AHL to help clear up some salary cap space. He has appeared in 13 AHL games since, scoring two goals and four points.

Now, both will draw into the Oilers lineup on Thursday to give some players some rest. Given that Gagner can play up the middle and Erne on the wing, the logical players to sit would be both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

On top of that, I wonder if the Oilers look to sit Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard for that game, similarly to how they’re sitting Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci tonight. The club brought up defenceman Philip Broberg from the Condors for these final games, and he will play with Troy Stecher on the third pair tonight.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.