Flyers choose not to buy out Gagner: 'We think Sam is a nice fit'
Sam Gagner will remain a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Acquired in a rather bizarre trade with the Arizona Coyotes that involved Nicklas Grossmann and Chris Pronger's contract, Gagner faced a potential buyout with a view to the Flyers clearing cap space and looking elsewhere for forward depth.
Ultimately, general manager Ron Hextall decided to keep him around, seeing Gagner as a nice piece for his club.
"We think Sam is a nice fit. Once we got him we had the option to buy him out, but he is a very skilled forward," Hextall said Wednesday, according to Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly.com. "I think in the right situation he can be a productive player for us. He is a player we were going to try and seek whether it was through a trade or free agency or what not.
"We felt like he was a good fit. We did our homework, we did our research, and everything came out good, so we feel good about Sam. Again, it upgrades the skill level of our team. It’s a one-year deal, which was attractive to us."
Gagner, who has one year and $3.2 million remaining on his current contract, posted decent numbers with the Coyotes despite their assertion that he's not an NHL center. In 81 games, he recorded 15 goals, 26 assists, and positive possession numbers at even strength (52 Corsi For).
Drafted sixth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2007, he has averaged 0.59 points per game through the first eight years of his career, and, at age 25, still has time to reach that next level.
If he can break out as a member of the Flyers, what was seen as a cap-clearing deal could be a boon for Hextall.