Oilers PTO signing Sam Gagner won't play in preseason games: report
Despite needing to impress the Edmonton Oilers to earn a contract after recently being signed to a PTO, Sam Gagner won’t be playing in the preseason.
According to longtime Oilers reporter Jim Matheson, Gagner is available to practice but hasn’t been cleared to play in games yet after undergoing double hip surgery this offseason. He will be evaluated in a month’s time and may play some games for the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL once deemed good to go.
Sam Gagner who had surgery on both hips will only practise in camp and wonāt play games. In a PT0 He will be evaluated in a month and might go to Bakersfield
ā Jim Matheson (@jimmathesonnhl) September 20, 2023
The Oilers announced that they had signed Gagner to a PTO earlier this summer, marking the third time the two sides have paired up. The 34-year-old spent the first seven seasons of his career in Edmonton after being selected sixth overall in the 2007 draft, and then reunited with them briefly from 2018 to 2020.
This past season, Gagner was with the Winnipeg Jets. He was used in a depth role, suiting up for 48 games, where he chipped in with eight goals and 14 points. A season prior, he appeared in 81 games with the Detroit Red Wings, scoring 13 goals and 31 points.
Gagner is one of three players heading to the Oilers on a PTO. The first to be signed to such a deal was Brandon Sutter, who hasn’t played the past two seasons due to issues with long COVID. The other is Adam Erne, who was signed just over a week ago. Given the shape of the Oilers roster, it is likely that the three will be fighting for one spot, which will create some much-needed competition in training camp.
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