from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

Sam Gagner has known the expectations of being a high-round draft pick; he’s been traded half a dozen times. A year ago he landed with the Detroit Red Wings, where his experience was welcomed by a team in rebuilding mode.

Gagner joined the lineup as a two-way forward and power play guy — and a reliable pro. He hasn’t had the numbers he’d like this season, but Gagner is noticeable on most of his shifts because of the good work he does in both the offensive and defensive zones.

“I think that early in my career when I wasn’t producing, I probably wasn’t making an impact,” Gagner said Wednesday. “I’ve tried to evolve my game to a point where I can have an impact on the game regardless of I’m producing or not. But, if you want to be a good two-way player, offense is part of that. I’m going to keep trying to get to the net, keep trying to create chances, and they are going to start going in, and hopefully, when they do, they are going to go in in bunches.”

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