Cardiac Cane
Fansided

Seven unrestricted free agents the Hurricanes could sign to flush out their depth

By Conor Power

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 08: General manager Brad Treliving of the Calgary Flames and general manager Don Waddell of the Carolina Hurricanes talk on the draft floor prior to Round Two of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 08, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 08: General manager Brad Treliving of the Calgary Flames and general manager Don Waddell of the Carolina Hurricanes talk on the draft floor prior to Round Two of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 08, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 8
Next
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 04: Jordan Staal #11 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates with the puck as teammate Brady Skjei #76 battles for position against Robby Fabbri #14 and Sam Gagner #89 of the Detroit Red Wings during the first period of their game at PNC Arena on March 04, 2021, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 04: Jordan Staal #11 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates with the puck as teammate Brady Skjei #76 battles for position against Robby Fabbri #14 and Sam Gagner #89 of the Detroit Red Wings during the first period of their game at PNC Arena on March 04, 2021, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

Sam Gagner

There are a lot of options in this free agent class, but sixth we have a player who is not once he once was, but that seems to be the theme of this summer. Sam Gagner at 32 years old has long since past his best, but that doesn’t mean that the former 6th overall pick isn’t a player who can no longer be of any use. With Gagner, you know what you are getting from the grizzled veteran.

Having been viewed as a negative asset year ago, Gagner is someone that can be of great service to his team if put in a position to do so. He also ticks all the boxes for what you look at as a leader and as a leader off the ice, a guy with boatloads of experience, and a player that has been around for long enough to help the young core build on what they’ve already done to achieve more.

This year, Gagner completed his two-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings putting up 13 goals and 18 assists for 32 points in 81 games. Not earth-shattering numbers, but still totals that are very respectable. Combine that with everything he has off the ice and you get a player that could be of a lot of value both on and off the ice if the contract you sign him to is worth it.

A lot like everyone else on this list, I wouldn’t expect to see Gagner sign for more than $1 million but that isn’t exactly shocking at this point of Gagner’s career. We saw the impact of veteran leadership on this year’s Colorado Avalanche team that was finally able to get over the hump and capture the organization’s first Stanley Cup since 2001. Having someone like Gagner around may have a bigger impact than we think.

Home/Editorials