Oilers call up veteran fan favourite for final game of the season
Moments ago, news broke from several Oilers that the team will be making a move to call up forwards Adam Erne and Sam Gagner from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors.
For now, this roster move will allow Coach Knoblauch to rest some more forwards. At this moment, it's unknown if there's a corresponding move to send another player back down to the minors. Still, the opportunity to rest someone layers will be very welcome to the Oilers, who have had to have a short roster due to salary cap reasons this year.
Fans will certainly be happy to see veteran forward Sam Gagner return to the lineup, and it's honestly debatable about whether he deserved to be sent down in the first place. Through the first half of the season, Gagner was incredibly productive in limited fourth line minutes, scoring 5 goals and 10 points in 27 games. Since the Oilers added Corey Perry, Knoblauch clearly believed there wasn't a fit for Gagner in the lineup anymore. Still, fans really flocked to Gagner, and it's tough to seen him out of the lineup.
Despite still having a productive year in both the NHL and AHL, Gagner's situation has begun to spur questions about his future. The 34 year old forward made the team on a tryout contract in training camp, but still wasn't able to stick in the lineup. It's not out of the question that Gagner won't be able to secure an NHL contract next year, and will retire after this season. Hopefully with the expanded roster sizes, the clutch Gagner can get into some games, and the team can deliver him a Stanley Cup.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 17 | 460 ANSWERS Oilers call up veteran fan favourite for final game of the season Do you think the Oilers should keep Gagner Called Up for the playoffs? | ||
| Yes, he's worth the roster spot | 352 | 76.5 % |
| No, he's not a fit anymore | 86 | 18.7 % |
| See Results | 22 | 4.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
