BLOG: Gagner excited & stronger entering his third stint with Oilers

EDMONTON, AB – Gagn and back again.

And again.

And again.

One of the most quintessential Oilers of a generation, it feels right having Sam Gagner back in the Blue & Orange’s corner.

“I think Sam's a professional. Sam has good experience in this league,” Head Coach Jay Woodcroft said. “He's been everything from a first-round pick to a first-line player here and has found a way to stay in the League for as long as he has. He has a skill set about him. I think he's an elite thinker.”

After undergoing double hip surgery this past March and turning his Professional Tryout (PTO) during Training Camp into signing a one-year NHL contract, Sam Gagner is feeling renewed for his third stint in Edmonton and his chance to contribute in Oil Country where he began his career as an 18-year-old and played 542 of his 1,015 career NHL games.

“This is where you want to be and I'm feeling good,” Gagner said following Wednesday’s practice. “I think it's nice to play some games, get back to just playing hockey, and I'm excited to get going here.”

The 34-year-old signed a one-year, $775,000 AAV contract with the Oilers on Tuesday after completing four games for the Bakersfield Condors, where he produced a goal and four assists for Edmonton’s AHL affiliate on a line with Lane Pederson and Xavier Bourgault as part of his continued rehab coming off double hip surgery earlier this year.

Gagner came to Oilers Training Camp on a PTO to practice with the team, but didn’t suit up for any of Edmonton’s eight pre-season games. He signed a one-year AHL deal to go down to Bakersfield to get back up to speed and test his recovery in competitive AHL action, and the veteran of more than 1,000 NHL games says he's feeling fit for another tour of duty in Oil Country after participating in Wednesday's practice at Rogers Place.

“Really good,” Gagner said about his hips. “I played three games, two of them on a back-to-back, and played a good amount of minutes and they held up really well. I'm really happy with how it's come along. It was more just kind of getting my timing back and getting the feeling of playing in games, but the hips feel great and I'm excited to go.”

The hip problems hampered the forward’s on-ice mobility and ability to make an impact for more than two seasons before he made the decision to undergo surgery this past March to be ready in time for the start of Training Camp.

Now, Gagner is pain-free and is seeing a lot more mobililty in his hips after being able to push himself a lot harder this off-season and during his PTO in Edmonton.

“I'm definitely more mobile,” he said. “Not having to deal with pain is something that's really helpful… just being able to stay on the ice late, work on things and work on your speed, it just becomes more and more difficult [injured]. I'm really happy with how they feel and now it's just a matter of going out there and playing as hard as I can and helping this team win some games.”

Gagner is expected to occupy a bottom-six position for the Oilers when he suits up for his 543^rd game in Blue & Orange on Thursday against the Dallas Stars. The veteran with 519 career NHL points will be looked upon as someone who can provide an offensive spark to Edmonton’s bottom forwards, who’ve yet to produce a goal through the first eight games of the 2023-24 season.

“For us, what I mentioned yesterday in the media availability was that grouping of five or six players in the bottom part of our forward group, we're looking for more,” Woodcroft said.

“We are looking for more, and can Sam come in and make a play? That's what our hope is. We're about to find out. But for him to come in, he's an accepted member in that locker room. People respect his experience level and his skill level, and we're excited he's here.”

Gagner understands that contributing from the bottom six offensively will be the priority, but at this stage of his career, he knows there has to be a defensive foundation for the offence to be built on.

Whatever the role, Gagner is prepared to fill it – just as he did for the last 542 games he spent in an Oilers sweater.

“It's always kind of been a part of my game trying to create offensive chances; having some poise with the puck and making plays,” he said. “Ultimately, I think you have to play hard at both ends of the rink, do your best to be solid defensively, and not give up anything. Then, when you have the opportunity, you’ve got to try and create some chances. 

“I think whether it goes in or not, it's just an opportunity for your team to gain momentum and help the other lines coming on the ice by playing in the o-zone. “Something I'm going to try and focus on is creating and getting to the net and doing my best to help in any area that's called upon.”