The Canucks shored up their centre depth on the first day of free agency, following through on their much-rumoured interest in Sam Gagner.
I went over the pros and cons of signing Gagner in detail earlier this week. My biggest concern for a Gagner contract was term: anything more than two or three years would be too much.
So, a three year contract, worth $3.15 million per year? There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s almost exactly the average annual value estimated by Matt Cane’s contract model, so it’s neither an over or an under-payment based on expected market value.
If you’re concerned that Gagner represents a move away from rebuilding and towards a “win now” philosophy, I don’t see it that way, as I said earlier in the week:
Signing Gagner wouldn’t be a “win now” move, per se, but would provide a bridge to the Canucks’ young, still-developing prospects. This may be the Sedins final season in Vancouver, which would make the Canucks incredibly thin down the middle. Adding Gagner on a two to three year contract would give a prospect like Elias Pettersson a little more time to develop.
I’m also not too worried about Gagner taking a roster spot away from a prospect. Remember, this was a team that saw Michael Chaput and Jayson Megna play prominent roles. With Gagner’s ability to play at centre or on the wing, he could easily play on the third or fourth line.
Gagner is a player that gives the Canucks’ offense a boost, particularly on the powerplay, but he also has the potential to hurt them defensively. With Gagner in the lineup, the Canucks might be just a little bit more fun to watch, even if they're only marginally better. That should keep almost everyone happy — both those who want the Canucks to score more goals and those who want them to tank.
Of course, no one's going to be happy, because Canucks fans don't let themselves be happy, and signing a former member of the formerly sadsack Oilers gives Canucks fans plenty to complain about.
