Sam Gagner: Can Coyotes Fans Handle Another Disappointment?
Mar 28, 2014; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Sam Gagner (89) looks to make a pass in front of Anaheim Ducks defensemen Sami Vatanen (45) during the second period at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
The Arizona Coyotes rookies have had an eventful week- Brendan Perlini went around scoring goals like they were easy, Henrik Samuelsson continued on his upward trend, Brendan Burke put up a valiant fight against the onslaught of shots taken by L.A. Kings rookies during the two-game split series, and Tyler Gaudet continued to prove that he deserves a second look. Tobias Rieder and Lucas Lessio made impressive showings, and Max Domi impressed coaches with his improved work ethic over the weekend.
The veterans are heading to training camp, though- and with them comes Sam Gagner, Edmonton’s biggest letdown.
Selected sixth overall in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Gagner failed to become what the Oilers had hoped he would. In the past seven seasons with the franchise, he has failed to break the fifty-point threshold, hovering at around 10-15 goals per season as he floated in and out of the team’s second line. He had a couple streaks of high-intensity output, but couldn’t maintain any level of consistency for more than a handful of games.
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He was acquired by the Coyotes two days before free agency, in a rapid-fire trade that took him to Arizona via Tampa Bay, along with B.J. Crombeen. It was expected that he would slot in as either a center or winger on the team’s third line; a demotion from where he had played in Edmonton, but more in keeping with the numbers he was putting out.
Coyotes fans are no longer able to get excited for big-name trades like they once were; Mike Ribeiro made certain that Glendale became more gun-shy towards players who were selected based on promise. Ribeiro was coming off of a one-year campaign with the Washington Capitals that saw him produce a point per game; he had 13 G and 36 A to finish the season with 49 points in the 48-game lockout shortened season. When the Capitals failed to re-sign him, the Coyotes jumped at the opportunity to see him double those numbers; instead, he failed to even meet the 49 points he had produced the year prior. With rumors of off-ice issues and only 16 G over 80 games, the Coyotes bought out their “shiny new toy”… and fans were left wondering if the 25-year-old fallen wonder child from London, Ontario, could be what they needed.
Because I’m a huge nerd, I took to Reddit yesterday to get a feel for what fans are expecting from Gagner this season. I asked how much faith the team’s community had in their new third liner- and from what it seems, there isn’t a ton.
Some fans are cautiously optimistic. One respondent suggested that while he doesn’t have much “faith” in Gagner, he’s riding on a lot of hope. Another fan promised that if Gagner “doesn’t totally suck”, he’ll buy his jersey.
“As a player who could have a fifty-or sixty- point season with a little more consistency, Sam Gagner could have easily walked into open arms in Arizona. After all, he saw a stretch during the 2011-2012 season where he put up eight points in a single game, notching up four goals and four assists against the Chicago Blackhawks. “
As a player who could have a fifty-or sixty- point season with a little more consistency, Sam Gagner could have easily walked into open arms in Arizona. After all, he saw a stretch during the 2011-2012 season where he put up eight points in a single game, notching up four goals and four assists against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was the first player to do that since Mario Lemieux did it in 1989, and is one of only thirteen NHL-ers to ever achieve the feat.
Coyotes fans have seen what being overly optimistic about a new addition can do, though. Gagner seems to be excited about the change in scenery– but there’s only so much that a new zip code can do to one’s disposition. He’s leaving a bottleneck in his own position, but coming into a system not known for placing a particularly large emphasis on offense.
There’s not much to do but wait and see- one fan told me to come back and talk to everyone twenty games into the season. Sam Gagner isn’t walking into a particularly forgiving environment, though- and if he can’t produce the numbers he’s expected to, he could find himself out faster than the last saving grace.