Scrolling through Twitter and other Edmonton Oilers blog sights I have noticed that there are some people that Sam Gagner would be a decent signing for the Edmonton Oilers this offseason. While Gagner was undoubtedly a talented player during his time in Edmonton, I believe that it would be a mistake for the Oilers to bring him back.
1 year, 750k
— Woz (@itsWozzz) June 8, 2023
Bring Sam back and let him retire as an Edmonton Oiler pic.twitter.com/UIAdDqEk6r
Gagner is no longer the player he once was. While he may have been a top scorer in the past, his recent performance has been lacklustre at best. He has struggled to stay healthy and has not been able to produce at the level that the Oilers need from their players in the bottom six. Bringing him back would be a risky move that could hurt the team in the long run.
With the NHL moving towards a fast more skilled game I honestly don’t think the Edmonton Oilers want to get slower in their bottom six. Sam Gagner wasn’t the quickest player when he was in his prime so the Edmonton Oilers don’t need him now that he is slower now.
There are other areas of the team that need to be addressed before they consider bringing back Gagner. The Oilers have struggled on defence in recent years, and they need to focus on shoring up their back end if they want to be successful. Bringing in a veteran defenseman would better use the team’s resources than signing Gagner.
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Overall, while Gagner may have been a fan favourite in the past, I believe that it would be a bad idea for the Oilers to bring him back. The team needs to focus on building a winning team, and bringing in a player who is past his prime is not the way to do that. If Gagner was never an Edmonton Oiler there is no way people would want him here.
Sometimes you need to think with your head and not with your heart. As Edmonton Oilers fans that can be the toughest part.