Blue Jackets sign center Sam Gagner to one-year contract

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed center Sam Gagner to a one-year contract for the 2016-17 National Hockey League season, club General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced today. As is club policy, terms were not disclosed.

Gagner, who turns 27 on August 10, has posted 124 goals and 228 assists for 352 points with 297 penalty minutes in 615 career NHL games over nine NHL seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes and Edmonton Oilers. He has finished in his team’s top-three in scoring five times and registered 40-plus points in six of his eight full campaigns.

“Sam has scored 350 points and played in 600 games in the NHL and is still a young player who can be a solid contributor on our team,” said Kekalainen. “He is a talented, right-handed shot center who will add to our skill and depth at that position.”

The London, Ontario native collected 8-8-16 with 25 penalty minutes and a +4 plus/minus rating in 53 games with the Flyers during the 2015-16 regular season and added 0-2-2 and eight penalty minutes in six postseason contests. He also tallied 1-5-6 with four penalty minutes and was +3 in nine games with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Edmonton’s first pick, sixth overall, in the 2007 NHL Draft, Gagner registered 101-194-295 and 244 penalty minutes in 481 games with the Oilers from 2007-14, hitting the 40-point mark in each of his first five seasons and setting a personal best in goals with 18-29-47 in 75 contests in 2011-12. He joined the Coyotes via a trade prior to the 2014-15 campaign and notched 15-26-41 in a career-high 81 games in his only season with the club.

The 5-11, 202-pound center registered 35-83-118 with 36 penalty minutes and was +32 in 53 games with the London Knights in 2006-07 and added 7-22-29 and 22 penalty minutes in 16 playoff contests. He earned Canadian Hockey League All-Rookie Team and Ontario Hockey League First All-Rookie Team honors in his lone season of major junior hockey. Gagner has represented Canada at three international tournaments. He suited up for the Canadians at the 2008 IIHF World Championships, the 2007 IIHF World Junior Championships (gold medal) and the Canada Ontario U17 squad at the U17 World Hockey Challenge.

CBJ Press Release.