Rumor: Oilers and Canucks on the verge of a player for player trade.

It appears that we have a trade brewing in the National Hockey League between two bitter rivals.

According to a breaking news report from Sportsnet's National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman it appears that the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers are currently in talks for a trade involving former Edmonton Oilers first round draft selection Sam Gagner. This move is interesting on a number of levels, not the least of which is the fact that the Oilers are seemingly trying to get back a player they had previously given up on.

Gagner, a former first round pick in the 2006 National Hockey League Entry Draft, was selected 6th overall by the Oilers that year but has been largely viewed as a bust in spite of the fact that he has now appeared in over 750 NHL games. That's not to say that Gagner is a terrible NHL player, you can't play over 750 games in the league and be useless, but given the level of hype surrounding him when he was selected he has never reached the lofty heights that some fans had envisioned for him.

This has resulted in Gagner bouncing around from team to team for several seasons now with Gagner joining the ranks of the Arizona Coyotes organization, the Philadelphia Flyers organization, the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, the Vancouver Canucks organization and even playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs' American Hockey League affiliate the Toronto Marlies during this current season. All of this in the short span of just a few years has left Gangner in limbo with many wondering what he can still offer at the NHL level.

Update: It seemed curious that the Oilers would have an interest in bringing Gagner back given that they got a better look at him than any other team previously mentioned did. That being said though this may be less about acquiring Gagner and more about giving up the player that is now being rumored to go back the other way. According to Friedman it now appears that the Oilers are trying to unload forward Ryan Spooner as a part of this deal, a move the Oilers have reportedly trying to make for weeks now. 

This would appear to be a player for player deal, at least that is what is being reported at this time, but there may be more pieces in the mix that we are not aware of yet.

[pub]