On Sunday night it was announced that the Edmonton Oilers have traded centre Sam Gagner to the Tampa Bay Lightning, in exchange for right winger Teddy Purcell. Both players were rumoured to be on the move, as they were becoming of little use to their respective teams, and had mostly fallen out of favour with fans.
The Oilers have been reportedly trying to move Gagner for a while. By drafting Leon Draisaitl on Friday, Edmonton added another centre. The move would indicate that they expect Draisaitl to be on the NHL team next season, most likely in Gagner’s spot on the second line. Recently, Gagner has underperformed for the Oilers, managing just 37 points last year. Many of his critics believe Gagner’s development has stalled, since he’s never been able to improve on his career-high 49 points, which he achieved in his rookie season. Of course, he is only 24, so there’s definitely still hope for him.
Similarly, Purcell underperformed in Tampa this season. His production has diminshed from his career-high 65 points in 2011-12. In 2013-14, he ended up with just 42 points (although his ice time was limited, playing on the third line). Many Lightning fans wanted him to be traded.
After the trade was announced, there was a rumour that Gagner was to be bought out by the Lightning, immediately after acquiring him. However, it now appears that this rumour was false. Really, it wouldn’t make much sense to buy him out right after trading for him.
This trade immediately appears to be beneficial to both teams. Neither player was going to see any success if they stayed put. It’s possibly a change of scenery will kickstart both Gagner and Purcell. Many Lightning fans do believe Gagner will thrive in Tampa, playing on the second or third line.
UPDATE: The Tampa Bay Lightning have now apparently traded Gagner, in addition to B.J. Crombeen, to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a draft pick. The flip is rumoured to be a move to free up cap space. More information to follow.
Don’t forget to check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert for the latest in NHL injuries.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LWOScharlieocc. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter –@LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
