Sam Gagner

[sniperfan]

gagner wasn't even listed in the top 10 by redline report.


i haven't seen the kid play yet, but i've watched all the video highlights of london knights from rogerstelevision this season. from watching those highglights, it seems to me that he's more of a playmaker than a goal scorer, and that he is rarely able to score goals on his own; he needs linemates to set him up. is it just me? but i think i'm more impressed with patrick kane's offensive skills. i think kane has a little pavel bure in his style, just very exciting to watch.

btw, how is Gagner's skating? is he fast on his skates?

 

[Frolov 6'3]

He better be, with 5'11''.

So most likely, yes.

 

[David McConnor]

he is rarely able to score goals on his own; he needs linemates to set him up.

Yep. Gagner can't score on his own. You're right.

Just look at this cheapie. All the work of linemates setting him up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_xNxWmd7cI

And no goal scoring prowess here either. Pathetic attempt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9RrRDHlmSs

 

[dell]

Ok, I have never seen a game in the OHL. But, I see USHL games every week. And unfortunately, I probably posted my original thought inadvertently. I really didn't want to bag on Gagner. I truly think he is an excellent player. What I really am trying to get honest feedback on is this. What is the goaltending and defense like in the O. I understand the special team play is up, and some guys, Gagner, play a whole lot more than others on PP and PK, but are the majority of the D offensive oriented? Do the goalies have a chance?

 

[RUSqueelin*]

Ok, I have never seen a game in the OHL. But, I see USHL games every week. And unfortunately, I probably posted my original thought inadvertently. I really didn't want to bag on Gagner. I truly think he is an excellent player. What I really am trying to get honest feedback on is this. What is the goaltending and defense like in the O. I understand the special team play is up, and some guys, Gagner, play a whole lot more than others on PP and PK, but are the majority of the D offensive oriented? Do the goalies have a chance?

One player has lit it up in the league so far. Not every player has 31 points in 9 games, next closest player has 22. Comparing the USHL the league leaders are averaging the same Points per game as the top OHLer's. Sam's just off to a great start, has been put in a perfect position to excel and he's taken advantage of it. And once the season gets older, teams will implement their systems better, players will get better, and the scoring will go down some. It does every year.

Bobby Ryan has 11 points in 8 games and Trevor Lewis has 14 points in 10 games.

If the Knights played their 9 games against USHL teams this year, Sam would probably have 50 points right now.

 

[ISS Hockey]

Ok, I have never seen a game in the OHL. But, I see USHL games every week. And unfortunately, I probably posted my original thought inadvertently. I really didn't want to bag on Gagner. I truly think he is an excellent player. What I really am trying to get honest feedback on is this. What is the goaltending and defense like in the O. I understand the special team play is up, and some guys, Gagner, play a whole lot more than others on PP and PK, but are the majority of the D offensive oriented? Do the goalies have a chance?

Of the three Canadian junior leagues, the OHL is the middle ground. The Q is a bit higher scoring and the WHL lower scoring. That could change this year as the WHL has followed the other two junior leagues and adopted many of the rule changes the NHL did.

Three factors are contributing to Gagner's fast start, according to our OHL correspondant who just wrote a profile on Gagner.

1. He was cut by Canada's under-18 team in August and is motivated by this to prove Hockey Canada was wrong.
2. He is being given prime ice time with London this season.
3. The USHL, regardless of it's overall talent level, is generally considered a lower scoring league. (By this, I mean I don't wish to begin a debate about the USHL vs. the OHL in terms of overall quality. That would be getting away from the thread topic.)

I would also add that he is a year older and it's at this stage 17-20 that the great ones separate themselves from the pack. It's when they make huge strides in their development as they grown from boys into men. Also, he's teamed with Pat Kane, I don't think he had anybody that skilled to play with last year. Of his 31 points in nine games, 24 have been assists; he's got better finishers on the end of his passes.

 

[DuklaNation]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_xNxWmd7cI

Unfortunately that wont happen in the NHL. He gained the blue line without anyone coming close to him That d-man looked horrific. What a pilon.

 

[OHLArenaGuide]

Yes that's absolutely hilarious. Perhaps in addition to not reading this thread you should consider not posting as well.

Just naming random d-man. Oh wow, what an intelligent argument to make your point.

Sometimes you just know there's no point in making an intelligent argument, such as when you're arguing with a petulant five-year-old, or Air Bud.

Nevermind that no matter what kind of list you can come up with, it's squashed by the lists produced by the other junior leagues.

I never said it wasn't. I was responding to where you said "The Q has always been a joke defensively" by naming the first eight quality Q d-men I could think of. Any league that produced Ray Bourque can't have "always been a joke defensively" - plus you're proving you prefer stereotypes to actually watching a Q game. I've been to about 30 Q games in five cities. How many Q games have you attended?

I'm not obviously under 18, but what does age have to do with it?

Nice non-denial denial.

At age 5 I understood hockey more than you ever will. Go back to the library and sort books.

This would almost be clever if it wasn't more than a year out of date... besides, many experts these days believe the radical notion that there might be a co-relation between reading books and knowledge.

I believe you've officially been served.

 

[OHLArenaGuide]

Of the three Canadian junior leagues, the OHL is the middle ground. The Q is a bit higher scoring and the WHL lower scoring. That could change this year as the WHL has followed the other two junior leagues and adopted many of the rule changes the NHL did.

I'm disappointed that the ISS hasn't noticed that this hasn't been true in the past couple years. Last year the OHL was the highest-scoring.

 

[HFNHL Canadiens]

One player has lit it up in the league so far. Not every player has 31 points in 9 games, next closest player has 22. Comparing the USHL the league leaders are averaging the same Points per game as the top OHLer's. Sam's just off to a great start, has been put in a perfect position to excel and he's taken advantage of it. And once the season gets older, teams will implement their systems better, players will get better, and the scoring will go down some. It does every year.

Bobby Ryan has 11 points in 8 games and Trevor Lewis has 14 points in 10 games.

If the Knights played their 9 games against USHL teams this year, Sam would probably have 50 points right now.

probably not, USHL is a very defensive hockey league it is often underrated, London prolly would have won all or the majority of there games, but with 4-2, 3-0 type scores not 9-1 or high scoring OHL games. 5.6 points a game is insane no matter what league your playing against.

 

[RUSqueelin*]

probably not, USHL is a very defensive hockey league it is often underrated, London prolly would have won all or the majority of there games, but with 4-2, 3-0 type scores not 9-1 or high scoring OHL games. 5.6 points a game is insane no matter what league your playing against.

While it might have been a bit of an exageration. If gagner was playing in the USHL then ya his stats would be less. But if the same Knights team were playing they would be scoring more goals then they do against OHL teams thus Gagner padding his points - that's the difference in skill level of the two leagues. The original poster was questioning the caliber of D in the OHL.

 

[ISS Hockey]

I'm disappointed that the ISS hasn't noticed that this hasn't been true in the past couple years. Last year the OHL was the highest-scoring.

I did a little research on this last year. Here are the numbers:

Goals scored in the QMJHL in 2005-06: 4,669 goals in 630 games=7.41 goals per game
Goals scored in the OHL in 2005-06: 4,776 goals in 680 games=7.02 goals per game
Goals scored in the WHL in 2005-06: 4,195 goals in 720 games=5.82 goals per game

If you look at the goal total, yes there were more goals scored in the OHL, but if you look at a goals-per-game average (a much better gauge, IMO) then the OHL is in the middle.

 

[OHLArenaGuide]

I did a little research on this last year. Here are the numbers:

Goals scored in the QMJHL in 2005-06: 4,669 goals in 630 games=7.41 goals per game
Goals scored in the OHL in 2005-06: 4,776 goals in 680 games=7.02 goals per game
Goals scored in the WHL in 2005-06: 4,195 goals in 720 games=5.82 goals per game

If you look at the goal total, yes there were more goals scored in the OHL, but if you look at a goals-per-game average (a much better gauge, IMO) then the OHL is in the middle.

My mistake. My point was that the Q's historic reputation as Goal Central where no one plays defense hasn't really been apt for the past decade, and it bothers me (bothers most Q fans) that so many people either haven't noticed or choose to remain willfully ignorant since it's, you know, French.

Naturally I wouldn't accuse ISS of that. Keep up the good work.

 

[ISS Hockey]

My mistake. My point was that the Q's historic reputation as Goal Central where no one plays defense hasn't really been apt for the past decade, and it bothers me (bothers most Q fans) that so many people either haven't noticed or choose to remain willfully ignorant since it's, you know, French.

Naturally I wouldn't accuse ISS of that. Keep up the good work.

I agree with you that there is an historic reputation for the Q and it is one that has lasted much longer than the one the WHL had. In the 1980s, the WHL was the wild west (Ray Ferraro, 108 goals!!?). The Dub got tough on defence and drastically reduced goals scored.

The Q changed, too, but not as drastically. The change started in 1994 with the expansion to the Maritimes and since then the Q has evolved into a more defensive-minded league. Someone told me recently they crunched some numbers that showed how the Eastern Division (with the Atlantic teams) of the Q is also more defensive-minded than the the Western Division (with the Quebec-based) teams. I'll try to track the numbers down to back it up, but coming from someone who covered the Q for four years, I will tentatively agree with this, but will reserve judgement until I see the numbers.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Only 1G, 1A in his past 3 games.....I think its time we all jump off the hype train and mark him down as a bust.

 

[Redwingsfan]

Only 1G, 1A in his past 3 games.....I think its time we all jump off the hype train and mark him down as a bust.

yeah he is nothing

 

[orrcollector]

I have been searching for a large format photo of Gagner with no luck. I even contacted the London Knights organization and they have nothing available at this time. I was wondering if anyone may have a large format scan they can e-mail me. I would appreciate it immensely. my e-mail is [email protected]

 

[ReLyT]

he is injured with a groin sprain

 

[ReLyT]

His latest shootout goal... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFJEHtMfUZ8

 

[sniperfan]

His latest shootout goal... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFJEHtMfUZ8

not bad, but does he have the speed to do it in breakaway situations?