The Edmonton Oilers trade Sam Gagner to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Teddy Purcell. The Lightning then flipped Gagner to the Coyotes for a 6th round pick, with the Lightning retaining a third of his salary.
The 24-year old Gagner was drafted 6th overall in the 1st round of the 2007 draft by the Oilers.
The 28-year old Purcell was undrafted. He carries a $4.5 million cap hit for the next two seasons.
The 28-year old Crombeen was drafted 54th overall in the 2nd round of the 2003 round by the Stars. He carries a $1.15 million cap hit.
- TSN: The Lightning were preparing to buyout Gagner before they traded him to Arizona. Coyotes GM Don Maloney got a call from Oilers GM Craig MacTavish Sunday morning. By the time Maloney called MacTavish back, there was already a verbal agreement to send Gagner to Tampa.
“(The Lightning) were trying to free up some cap space to do some other things, which obviously they did when they traded Teddy Purcell,” Maloney said on a conference call late Sunday night. “Basically we hung up the phone, I said (to Yzerman), ‘I’m going to have a beer, you go have a glass of wine and if you can come up with an idea, call me back.”‘
The Lightning ate 1/3 of Gagner’s contract, the cost that they would have been paid to buy him out. If the Lightning had bought Gagner out, the Coyotes could have had shot at him on July 1st, but they didn’t want to take the chance.
The Lightning later traded Nate Thompson and his $1.6 million cap hit to the Ducks for a 2015 4th and 7th round pick.
- Elliotte Friedman: The Lightning are just $58 million for 16 players, which includes Mattias Ohlund’s $3.6 million which will go on the LTIR.
- Erik Erlendsson: Steve Yzerman: “We are in position right now, whether it’s first in free agency to try and improve our team. In order to do that ” … “I had to move cash and you have no idea how hard it is to move a contract right now.”
- Brian Lawton: Hearing that Dan Boyle and Jarome Iginla could be free agent targets for the Lightning. They are looking to add some veterans to their young team.
- Renaud Lavoie: The Lightning are looking for an elite defenseman.
- Joe Smith: Lightning GM Steve Yzerman said he’s reached out to potential free agents. He has an idea of which players are interested, and what it would take to sign them.
- Joe Smith: Yzerman added that it opens the door for Panik, Drouin and Connolly next season.
- Chris Johnston: Don’t be surprised if the Lightning go after UFA Dominic Moore.
- Sarah McLellan: Coyotes GM Don Maloney said they are still looking at options at center.
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Sam Gagner
Teddy Purcell
B.J. Crombeen