Confirmed with Link: CBJ sign Sam Gagner: 1 year, $650,000

[CBJWerenski8]

If the Jackets are theoretically competing for a playoff spot come the trade deadline, and we are offered a 1st for Gagner, do you take it?

If he puts up 50+ points, there will be a team willing to offer him upwards of $3m for sure. He's only 27. Nobody expected him to play this well, and IMO it'd be tough to pass up a first round pick for a guy who could very well walk away chasing a bigger check in the offseason, especially considering Dubois should be on the team next year as CBJWennberg said.

Unless were out of the picture on deadline day I say we keep Sam.

 

[Bobcat110]

If the Jackets are theoretically competing for a playoff spot come the trade deadline, and we are offered a 1st for Gagner, do you take it?

Yarmo sends him to LA for a conditional 2nd. After all, "Why lose him to FA for nothing?"

 

[Nanabijou]

I'm warming more and more to hoping that Jarmo can resign him at a reasonable rate for say 2 or 3 years. I just don't think you can let a guy who has a lot of offensive talent walk for nothing. People talk about his lousy years with Edmonton but hell their whole team sucked during those years. He has a role here and so far he's delivering. He's stillon pace for 30+ goals or so. Seriously folks, you would let a 30 goal guy walk? Biggest risk is we re-sign him for 2.5-3 and Vegas snags him.

Yes, when he wants to be paid as a 30-goal scorer, it's best to let him walk.

I wouldn't trade him at the deadline - we already have our cheap rental for the year with no assets expended to get him. CBJ really lose nothing if he walks in the summer.

 

[EspenK]

Yes, when he wants to be paid as a 30-goal scorer, it's best to let him walk.

I wouldn't trade him at the deadline - we already have our cheap rental for the year with no assets expended to get him. CBJ really lose nothing if he walks in the summer.

If he scores 20-30 goals I respectfully disagree.

 

[CBJ goalie]

I hope Gagner stays.....it would be nice for a player to realize his success is based on the team he's currently on, and the roles he's been assigned.
Gagner is a 4th line player, that gets PP time.

But if the big $$$ call for him, he's gonna answer.

 

[EDM]

Hey, it is easy to find 4th liners who score 30+ goals ........ isn't it?

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

No way we trade him at the deadline if we're right in the thick of things. Come playoff time, having scoring depth throughout the lineup and the ability to roll four lines is way more valuable than adding a mid-to-late first round pick - especially considering how deep our prospect pool is.

The off-season is a whole different story because management will have to take into consideration the team's salary structure, as well as evaluate which players (Bjork/Dubois/Milano) are truly ready to make the jump to the NHL full time. Anything over a 2-3 year commitment over 2-2.25 million AAV is where I say to Sam good luck and move on.

 

[theD86]

He's a bargin so far. Best signing the Jackets have made in a while.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Unreal night last night. Outstanding very low risk/high reward signing.

PA Parenteau came to mind as a comparable type player. Decent, not high end, offensively, mediocre skater/defense. If Gagner ends up scoring 30, highly unlikely as a 4th liner, then the comparison goes up in flames as he's younger, had a better draft pedigree, and a case can be made for him as a late bloomer.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=93938

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=55024

https://www.capfriendly.com/players/pierre-alexandre-parenteau

If Gagner continues on his torrid pace, then a multi year deal is probably in order. If not, he seems to fit the one year contract mold.

 

[CBJSlash]

At this rate, Gagner will get 5 years and at least 20 million dollars in the offseason. Good for him! Good for us.

 

[LetsGOJackets!!]

Loved the signing, love the hustle he has shown. He is really getting results & needs to be accounted for. I see defenses finding him now which takes away their concentration from the puck. This is a really good story, thankful for Sam Gagner!

 

[WannabeFinn]

At this rate, Gagner will get 5 years and at least 20 million dollars in the offseason. Good for him! Good for us.

We do NOT need to hand out another contract like that to someone not named Wennberg. Not until one or both of Hartnell and Dubinsky are off the books.

 

[EspenK]

I think there is room to sign Gagner if he continues to produce. If push comes to shove buy out Hartsy in his last year. If Jarmo & Torts want him they'll find room. If we lose Cam in the expansion wouldn't a 2030 goal Gagner ease the pain?

 

[The Wheelchair]

We do NOT need to hand out another contract like that to someone not named Wennberg. Not until one or both of Hartnell and Dubinsky are off the books.

Yeah that seems like just asking for another Clarkson situation.

 

[NotWendell]

You do NOT sign him for 6 years x $4 million. You keep him to get us through the playoffs, offer what he's worth, then let him walk and call up Bjorkstrand or Milano to play the same role next season.

 

[WannabeFinn]

You do NOT sign him for 6 years x $4 million. You keep him to get us through the playoffs, offer what he's worth, then let him walk and call up Bjorkstrand or Milano to play the same role next season.

Bjorkstrand is really a perfect replacement in that role. I know a lot of people don't want to put prospects on the 4th line, but if you're feeding Bjork ample PP minutes then it shouldn't really matter.

 

[hardkorejackets]

I was in favor of trading him at the deadline to get some kind of return for him, especially if it gets to be doubtful that he isn't back here next season.. I was originally thinking, pick up an additional draft pick since he might not be around next year. Shoot, sign him to a cheap NHL "prove it" deal, watch him score about 25-30 goals, trade him at the deadline to a team that is against the cap and wants to make a run for it (originally figured we can get a good return with his cheap contract, expiring contract). But, I honestly didn't anticipate this type of play from him or the Blue Jackets to be honest.

But, I think I'm starting to be persuaded that unless we get surprised with a really nice offer for Gagner to keep him around here for the playoff run. 1. We have an injury to a top 9 guy for an extended time- Bump him up in the lineup. 2. Hopefully still have a good powerplay come playoff time which could be huge. 3. Scoring depth if someone goes cold.

I think signing him could be a bit tricky since he technically plays on our 4th line, but gets power play time in what has been one of the best power plays in the NHL. I imagine, Jarmo doesn't overspend on Gagner especially with our somewhat dicy cap situation.

 

[EspenK]

You do NOT sign him for 6 years x $4 million. You keep him to get us through the playoffs, offer what he's worth, then let him walk and call up Bjorkstrand or Milano to play the same role next season.

Bjorkstrand is really a perfect replacement in that role. I know a lot of people don't want to put prospects on the 4th line, but if you're feeding Bjork ample PP minutes then it shouldn't really matter.

Maybe Bjorkstrand or Milano fill the role;not sure they have shown they are up to it.

Not advocating a 6 year deal I'm just saying if he continues to play well and at a 20-30 g pace we'd have **** for brains to not at least try to sign him.

 

[SuperGenius]

You do NOT sign him for 6 years x $4 million. You keep him to get us through the playoffs, offer what he's worth, then let him walk and call up Bjorkstrand or Milano to play the same role next season.

This.

 

[CBJfan4evr]

If he scores 20-30 goals I respectfully disagree.

I totally agree. 30 goal scorers don't grow on trees and his role on the PP and as a sniper who can play up and down the lineup is invaluable. Haven't we learned from Letestu and Mckenzie. Of course having said that they may not be room or $ for him.

Bjorkstrand and Dubois will push for time. I don't know if Dubois could sit in the AHL for a year but that feels like the preferred option to me. At this point I'm thinking PLD would have to play wing unless we lose Karlson to Vegas.

The other looming issue is Kukan. He was awesome at the end of season last year. I haven't tracked his stats this year but don't think you can keep him buried in the AHL much longer

 

[CBJSlash]

We do NOT need to hand out another contract like that to someone not named Wennberg. Not until one or both of Hartnell and Dubinsky are off the books.

Not implying we'd sign him. We won't. I'm just saying that's what he'll get. I thought it was pretty obvious he's just here for one year.

 

[major major]

I think there is room to sign Gagner if he continues to produce. If push comes to shove buy out Hartsy in his last year. If Jarmo & Torts want him they'll find room. If we lose Cam in the expansion wouldn't a 2030 goal Gagner ease the pain?

If Gagner keeps playing like this for years to come, sure.

But something tells me that buying out a consistently productive player in order to pay up for a suddenly productive player amplifies the risk involved.

 

[major major]

I could see him getting resigned for a year at a few million. The bit of salary flexibility in summer 2018 completely goes away though, and that's when signing Gagner means letting another player walk. And I'm not talking about someone like JJ, who's walking is factored in in my book, or a few million in space for the player Las Vegas takes, which is also factored in. I'm talking about an additional player on top of that.

 

[EspenK]

If Gagner keeps playing like this for years to come, sure.

But something tells me that buying out a consistently productive player in order to pay up for a suddenly productive player amplifies the risk involved.

I'm talking about buying out Hartnell from his last year if cap concerns mount which I don't think they will. We have a lot of ELC's and RFA bridge deals to be utilized to stay within the cap for the next few years as long as the cap rises. And because, if it doesn't then almost every team will be in cap hell, I fully expect the players to use their escalation clause to make it go up.

 

[Old Guy]

I'm talking about buying out Hartnell from his last year if cap concerns mount which I don't think they will.

I didn't say anything when you first raised the Hartnell buyout issue and it is possible that I don't exactly follow what you are proposing.

Scott Hartnell has his current year and two more remaining on his contract. Gagner has this year only. If you are proposing to make a move concerning these two players at the end of this season, at or about the same time, buying out Hartnell would require two years - and spreading it out for the following 4 years.

If the CBJ would do that, they would have 3 buyouts on the books next year (17-18); Tytuin, Boll, and Hartnell. In 18-19; they would have Tytuin and Hartnell on the books. 19-20 and 20-21 would be Hartnell only.

That's a lot of dead money. You seem certain that the cap is going up, but the Canadian $$ continues to fall. You felt this was all workable. I am just not seeing what you are. Without facts and with less speculation, I might see it, but as now, would probably have to disagree with you.

Note: its possible I just don't understand. I'm an old guy.