Oilers place Sam Gagner on waivers just days before trade deadline
The Edmonton Oilers announced today that they had placed veteran forward Sam Gagner on waivers.
š #Oilers roster move š
Forward Sam Gagner has been placed on waivers.#LetsGoOilers
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 5, 2024
The 34-year-old veteran is in his third stint with the team and has played fairly well in the limited games he has had with the club. He has managed five goals and 10 points in 27 games and has been filling the role as the team’s extra forward on most nights.
With the NHL trade deadline just three days away, this could be related to incoming moves from the team. Gagner makes $775,000 on a one-year deal, so if a team opts to claim him, it would open up a little more space for the Oilers to make a move.
It’s a curious move, as the Oilers now have no extra players outside of those currently in their lineup. An injury could leave the team playing shorthanded. This supports the notion that a trade could be coming.
If Gagner clears, he will be sent to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and will give the Oilers more roster flexibility as they won’t need to wait 24 hours to send down Gagner in the future if they decide to bring him back at some point.
During the 2020 trade deadline, the Oilers traded Gagner to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Andreas Athanasiou.
The trade deadline is set to hit at 1 pm MT on Friday.
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