Photo Courtesy of Kate Frese
Sam Gagner joined the Flyers in a move that's widely considered to be one of GM Ron Hextall's best, yet still managed to stay somewhat under the radar at the start of the season.
After all, the transaction was more about what Hextall gave up, rather than what he got back in return. In a move that could be considered as one part hockey sense and another part Harry Potterian wizardry, Hextall not only gave up much-maligned defenseman Nicklas Grossmann, but managed to remove Chris Pronger's contract from the Flyers' books. Sure, it helped that the Arizona Coyotes needed to get to the salary floor, but nonetheless, Hextall's move was quite savvy.
Factor in the hoopla that comes with hiring a new coach, and it's understandable that a player like Gagner could fall under the radar.
After a so-so preseason, Gagner started his season in the press box as a healthy scratch. But following the Flyers' 7-1 embarrassment in South Florida in their second game of the season, Dave Hakstol shuffled the lineup, and in came Gagner in place of R.J. Umberger.
Gagner assisted in his first game with the Orange and Black, and scored his first Flyers goal in their 3-0 shutout of Chicago last week. Just two games for Gagner so far — a sample size that, of course, doesn't get much smaller — but still more production than anybody expected.
Drafted sixth overall by Edmonton in 2007 (one pick before Jakub Voracek), Gagner immediately made the jump to the pros after a season that saw him post a 35-goal, 118-point campaign — his only season with the Ontario League's London Knights.
Over his eight NHL seasons, Gagner never scored more than 18 goals (2011-12), and never topped 49 points (his rookie season in 2007-08). Subsequently, the Oilers gave up on him after 2013-14, and they sent him to Tampa Bay (who quickly turned him over to the Coyotes).
While Gagner never quite lived up to the hype that comes with being a top-ten draft choice, let's not forget the circumstances he played in. Those Oilers teams that he was to be a key cog for were horrawful, and were beyond any salvation that he could have provided. A floundering Coyotes team last year did not provide him much to work with either, and compared to those two dumpster fires, this year's Flyers team looks like a sure-fire contender (though considering their recent history of play against sub-par clubs, I can't get too ahead of myself here).
With the Orange and Black, Gagner won't be relied on as heavily as he's been in the past, yet can still provide a secondary-scoring boost that's been lacking. If his first two games are any indication, he'll do well enough in a secondary role.
Of course, Sam Gagner is bound to come back to Earth sooner rather than later. But he's looked better than expected through four games this season (two of which he's actually played in), which is worth enjoying for now.
Rob Riches is a contributor to Flyerdelphia and Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61
