Columbus Blue Jackets: Anthony Duclair not the 18-19 Sam Gagner

There are plenty of similarities between Columbus Blue Jackets newest forward Anthony Duclair and Sam Gagner. But a clear difference.

Anthony Duclair is the most welcome surprise of the 2018-2019 Columbus Blue Jackets season. Through ten games, Duclair has four goals and two assist, including the goal of the year so far in the entire NHL.

Duclair was signed in the offseason to the league minimum contract of $650,000 for one year. That’s life changing money for you and me but to an NHL star, its a reality check.

The Duke came to Columbus in an attempt to resurrect a once promising career that somehow had come off the tracks. The same could be said for Sam Gagner when, in the summer of 2016, he was signed for the exact same contract that Duclair signed this summer.

Gagner, once the number six overall pick, had hit a similar slump in his career and needed to turn it around at the young age of 26. With the Blue Jackets in the 2016-2017 season, he did just that.

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Sam started out the year hot with five points in his first ten games including a two goal performance, just like Duclair. Gagner would go on to post 50 points in 81 games and earn a nice payday. His current three year deal with Vancouver nets him $3.15 million a year.

The Jackets would be thrilled if they can get the same production out of Anthony Duclair on his league minimum deal and he looks like he is on his way to doing just that. But there is one big difference between Anthony Duclair’s 2018-2019 season and Sam Gagner’s 2016-2017 campaign. There is an actual chance of Duclair signing an extension with the team.

With Gagner there was little to no chance that an extension could have been reached with the forward. There were too many contracts to negotiate including Cam Atkinson‘s and Alexander Wennberg’s, both of whom where coming off of 62 point and 59 point season respectively.

Long term the Jackets had to think about Sergei Bobrovsky and breakout rookie defenseman Zach Werenski who would need big deals during Gagner’s contract if they were to extend him. And there was Brandon Saad‘s $6 million salary on the books.

But with Duclair there is a clear opportunity to keep the young, skilled forward. If Artemi Panarin is no longer a Blue Jacket, there becomes a clear role for Duclair to fill as a speedy scoring winger. Additionally Panarin’s $6 million salary will be off the books leaving plenty of money for the Jackets to sign Duclair to an extension.

The same can be said if Sergei Bobrovsky doesn’t sign a contract with Columbus. All of the sudden there opens up another large chunk of cap space to be able to sign Duclair if he is coming off a 50 point season.

Plus being 23-years-old helps Duclair with the prime of his career still ahead of him.

Whether Duclair signs or not, he looks like another great league minimum signing by Jarmo Kekelainen and crew. Of course there is a long season ahead for The Duke to reach the heights Gagner did in 2016-2017 but if he does, there is a much higher chance of the Jackets signing Duclair than Gagner ever had.