Sam Gagner should make his Oilers playoff debut in Game 3
It’s time to buckle down for the Edmonton Oilers now that they find themselves in a 2-0 hole in their Stanley Cup Final series against the Florida Panthers.
Changes are almost assuredly coming to the team’s lineup as they prepare for Game 3, and one name in particular should be getting more attention. With injuries plaguing Evander Kane and a few bottom-six forwards risking a night in the press box, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch should be taking a good, long look at inserting Sam Gagner into the lineup for the first time all playoffs.
It’s about time that the veteran Oiler got a chance to strut his stuff in the playoffs with the team that drafted him back in 2008.
Can't help but think if Kris Knoblauch has any other bold lineup moves left up his sleeve that it should be inserting Sam Gagner back in
This team could use some fresh legs in the bottom six
It would be his #Oilers playoff debut
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) June 11, 2024
The 34-year-old Gagner has only played in 11 NHL playoff games in his career with the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets. If he gets into a game in the Stanley Cup Final, it will be his first taste of postseason action since 2016-17.
Gagner has not played a game of hockey in about two months, but he has been skating with the team every chance he has, and he does have a permanent stall in the Oilers locker room. If given the opportunity, he won’t be going in completely cold, and he could be just what the team needs to get them through this grind.
The lack of recent games played didn’t stop Knoblauch from making a similar move by inserting Philip Broberg into the lineup during the Western Conference Final. Combine that with the fact that Gagner had a pretty decent regular season, scoring five goals and 10 points in 28 games, he would not be a bad option by any means.
So, who would come out of the lineup if Knoblauch decided to give “Papa Oiler” a shot in the Final? There are a few options, but the top player who could find himself out of the lineup is Warren Foegele, who hasn’t done much to keep his spot with three points all postseason and got ejected in the first period of Game 2 for a knee.
Knoblauch has shown that he is not averse to thinking outside the box when it comes to tinkering with his lineup. He put Broberg in despite a slew of questions and he recently scratched Cody Ceci for the first time in his three-season tenure with the Oilers.
If a change is going to be made upfront, it should involve Sam Gagner playing in the Stanley Cup Final with the Oilers.
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