Prospect Info: What prospects are you starting to lose faith in

[oilinblood]

Originally Posted by Rafters

Maybe...but Sam doesn't have a twin sister

and Sam wasnt a +39 --showing hockey sense and ability

also in the old nhl...gagner gets hit falls down and never sees another shift. plays in europe the rest of his career. 2nd player played in the league when you had to have actual strength and ofcourse his points explode when the league cracks down and the game becomes completely different.

Im not picking on Gagner... its asinine to compare the league prior to 2005 (obviously clutch and interference allowed era of Derian Hatchers) to the one that arrived after through to today. No comparison at all. Comparing to one game Skating on ice to another skating in quicksand with pythons grabbing your legs/

[oilinblood]

Originally Posted by Hoogaar23

If he comes in next year faster than ever (or as fast as he was in pre-season last year), is over 50% on the dot, and puts up like 60 points while not bleeding goals against - would you be happy to keep him as our 2C, or are you too far down the hate path to ever return?

I'm not a Gagner super-fan, but I really just don't see him as being anywhere close to the biggest problem on this team. He was 2nd on the team in ES points and closing in on 50% on the dot. He has certainly been better than thecaptainshawnhorcoff these last few years, yet I see more hate towards this 23 year old kid than our over the hill black hole of suck cream puff captain - I don't get it.

not a gagner fan or basher here...agree with you.

Right now i would Gagner is available in trade but not a give-away. On the "person" side i am sure the guy is good in the room and trains hard. I have never heard one issue with the kid. Still young so who knows. Personally i trade Hemmer before Gags, despite the fact Hemmer is the only winger over 25from our roster that i would play in a top 6 role(so again i wouldnt just give hemmer away).

oh jeeze i mentioned trading jesus. i should go.

[Oi'll say!]

Originally Posted by Tarus

Paajarvi ....

Paajarvi doesn't look like he has a future as an offensive player, which is a huge fall from 2 years ago when he was hyped as one of the big 3, and may struggle to carve out a career even as a defensive forward given his distaste for physical contact.

I agree it's tough to figure out a good fit for Paajarvi.

The only thing I could possibly see working for him in the nhl is to use his speed and some extra defensive effort on a second line that already has skill and a bit of toughness. He could play on a 2nd line with Doan + a skill player, that kind of thing. On the Oilers I don't see a fit for him.

Complimentary 2nd line player or bust imo.

It was crazy how well he was supporting the rush and/or carrying the puck up ice when he came out of training camp in season one - that player has vanished.

[okgooil]

Yakupov and Shultz.

made you look

Can't believe so much talk of Gagner. First he isnt' a prospect and second, no he isnt' a star, but he is still a fine young hockey player.

[Oi'll say!]

Originally Posted by oilinblood

and Sam wasnt a +39 --showing hockey sense and ability

also in the old nhl...gagner gets hit falls down and never sees another shift.

Noone in the history of the game got knocked down more than the sisters. If what you said about going to europe after getting knocked down was true they would have been lucky to get a job playing ringette in Botswana.


Sam has played mostly 2nd line center as an nhl'er and in that capacity his offensive numbers are solid, top 10 year after year. And that's playing with linemates who are anything but veterans or proven offensive players in every single season. He's never had a season where he's been the beneficiary of playing on a line with a proven offensive player, he's been providing the spark and playing with rookies.

Quick, name two players with more than 83 career games at the start of the season in which they played the majority of their shifts with Sam Gagner....

2nd line center may not be super sexy but it's a huge role and at certain times when the Oilers have had good 1st line centers in the past the team has been hampered by their inability to find a good enough #2. Sam will be a good enough #2 if RNH becomes a dominant #1.

47 points (finishing top ten among 2nd line centers) and +5 is pretty good as a 22 yr old center on a team that:
- finished 2nd last in the league
- finished 20th in goals for
- gave up 27 more goals than they scored.

What do Oiler fans expect from a 2nd line center? The situation in Pittsburgh and Vancouver is actually the exception to the rule, Kesler and Malkin are unrealistic comps for Sam at this stage.