Detroit Red Wings: 5 players likely on the move at the Trade Deadline
By Bob Heyrman
Sam Gagner
Similar to Glendening, Sam Gagner has the potential to land somewhere as a depth fourth-line forward that can play both center or the wing.
The 31-year old London Ontario, Canada native, will be on the bargain rack leading up to the NHL trade deadline. This past offseason, Gagner signed a one-year deal worth $850,000. That after being dealt with Detroit last season in the Andreas Athanasiou deal.
Yzerman sent the speedy forward along with Ryan Kuffner to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Gagner and a pair of second-round picks. The Detroit Red Wings spent the first of the two picks on Brock Faber, who the organization quickly flipped to the Los Angeles Kings for Theodor Niederbach and Sam Strange.
There is a common theme here with these Detroit Red Wings trade candidates; they are all depth role-type players.
Yzerman clearly saw some benefit in Gagner because he chose to re-sign him, albeit a cheap one-year deal. Gagner can play up and down the lineup if pressed into duty but is definitely best suited as a third/fourth-line winger with enough offensive ability to play on a team’s second power-play unit if needed.
Gagner’s low salary is the selling point here, and if Yzerman can flip him for even a late-round draft choice, it’s worth it.
The taxi squad and minors shuffling is getting old quick. dark. Next
Gagner has scored four goals and totaled nine points in 24 contests this season.