Sam Gagner's 2-year Deal with the Edmonton Oilers | IXGAMES

The Edmonton Oilers have always had a plan for their star center Sam Gagner. Ever since the team drafted Gagner in 2007, he has collected 131 points in his career, which is an excellent record for a player that has had 223 career games in the NHL. And now that the Edmonton Oilers have decided to keep Sam Gagner longer in the team with the 2-year contract, fans and some sports bettors are expecting the team to improve their performance this coming regular season. With the recent player updates and shifts in the team, there’s so much to look forward to for the October 7 game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames, in what is dubbed as “the battle of Alberta.” Long-term plans Steve Tambellini, the Oilers’ General Manager, said that Gagner is an integral part of the team and its future. He expects Gagner to take on a larger role moving forward for the team. His record is quite remarkable, achieving 49 and 41 points in his rookie and sophomore years, respectively. Gagner is expected to further improve his game as he becomes a more established player in the Oilers’ offensive lineup. It also doesn’t hurt that Gagner also has experience playing in international tournaments as the youngest player for Team Canada in the 2007 World Junior Championship and in the Super Series that same year. His performance in the latter series eventually resulted in him being named Series MVP, which is an outstanding achievement considering his age back then and the relative depth of the tournament players’ talent. A bright future for this young star Sam Gagner already has established some league records, despite his young age. He is now established himself as one of the more consistent scorers in the league and in his team. Add this to the fact that his health record has been respectable, and what the Edmonton has is a player that is expected to provide some long-term offensive capability in the foreseeable future. It’s not a surprise then that the team signed him up for another two years, but what’s surprising is the fact that it wasn’t a longer-term contract. The reason for Gagner’s success can arguably be attributed to the fact that he is a well-rounded athlete. His stats in the league consistently put him in the top 10 for most categories: goals, assists, shots, and shooting percentage, among other things. It’s obvious that he plays his heart out every singe game. So as long as he takes care of his health, there should be a few more league records he will be able to break. His background as a potential record breaker Sam’s father, Dave Gagner, also played in the NHL in his heyday: 15 seasons from 1984 to 1999. Dave is still involved heavily in the sport and is the Director for Player Development for the Vancouver Canucks. This lineage should serve his son, Sam, very well in the NHL. Sam has shown that he is a force in the league, and his current team will benefit from his passion for the game.