As opening night rosters are finalized, many players are feeling the disappointment.
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The same goes for former Oilers forward Sam Gagner, who was released from his PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a major round of roster cuts.
Gagner faced an uphill battle to make the Hurricanes one of the deepest teams in the league. His best bet would have been to become the team’s thirteenth forward, where he would have competed with Tyson Jost for minutes. In camp, he faced a battalion of Hurricanes prospects, including Jackson Blake, Bradly Nadeau and Ryan Suzuki. Nadeau was among the players sent back by Carolina, while Suzuki was placed on waivers.
Also joining Gagner was Rocco Grimaldi, another PTO guest, and former Oilers draft pick Skyler Brind’Amour, son of Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour.
This could be the end of the road for Gagner, a veteran of 1,043 NHL games. The 35-year-old was drafted 6th overall by the Oilers in 2007 and played 570 games with the team over three stints. He is best remembered in Edmonton for his eight-point game against the Chicago Blackhawks on February 2, 2012. Gagner split time between Edmonton and Bakersfield last season, recording 10 points in 28 games with the Oilers.
Gagner, however, is a well-respected veteran and could still make up for his 8th NHL franchise. Otherwise, any team – especially the Oilers – would be happy to add him to their coaching staff or front office.
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