Sam Gagner worth a waiver claim by the Arizona Coyotes
By James Reeve
The Vancouver Canucks have placed forward Sam Gagner on waivers and the Arizona Coyotes should seriously consider making a claim for him.
The Coyotes have had some injury issues recently, with Alex Galchenyuk, Dylan Strome, Christian Dvorak and Jakob Chychrun all being sidelined at one time or another.
Chychrun is still far from being close to returning, with Galchenyuk and Dvorak also questionable for the immediate future.
Strome, who appears to be ready for the team’s opener against the Dallas Stars, is likely to be played out of position to fill a gap left by an injured player.
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Gagner, meanwhile, is a surprising choice for the waiver wire – having signed a three-year deal that pays him $3.15 million a season just last summer.
Gagner scored ten goals and had a total of 31 points in 74 regular season games for the Canucks last season is a player that could be a real asset in the desert.
The team’s top six appears set, when all players are healthy, but having a flexible guy step into the line-up in what would likely be a third-line role is a luxury that cannot be overstated in the NHL.
Gagner is capable of playing both as a centre as well as a winger, allowing him to step into the Coyotes line-up and plug holes that are currently vacant.
With the team suffering injuries at this early stage, it would be a smart move to add Gagner – letting him compete for a roster spot throughout the season and letting him at the very least be available for injury cover, or used in back-to-back game situations.
His cap hit is manageable, with the Arizona Coyotes still having over $10 million available to them this season.
His contract also has two more years left to run, meaning that he could be acquired as a mid-term rental, with the 29-year-old not likely to be a key player for the team.
A former first-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers (6th overall in 2007), Gagner scored 18 goals and had 50 total points for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the season before joining Vancouver – showing that the Canadian still has potential to contribute.
It wasn’t too long ago that Gagner was playing for the Coyotes, where he scored 15 goals and had 41 total points in 81 regular season games.
Also, it wasn’t too long ago that Gagner was playing for the Coyotes, where he scored 15 goals and had 41 total points in 81 regular season games.
The addition of Gagner would be low-risk, potentially high-reward for the Coyotes, who seriously need to consider their depth options with so many of their key pieces out injured.
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What do you think Coyotes fans? Should the team take a gamble on Gagner? Is he worth claiming off the waiver wire? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!