Not raining on his parade, it was just a win-win for the Leafs. They have a philosophy of building their own prospects by having them play on good teams and part of that is making the playoffs and having a good run in the AHL. You need veteran guys to be able to do that like Greening last year and this, and Gagner fit that role as well. Other organizations might not have done this, but it was a perfect fit for the Leafs, the fact they didn't even have to pay him was just funny, cause Vancouver found no use for him and allowed the Leafs organization to benefit while they foot the cost.
It still seems weird to wonder why he was grateful. They could have passed and he would have been stuck in wherever Utica is.
Especially considering that because Gagner isn't a career AHL gud pro but rather a guy who's used to being in the NHL and all the luxury that entails, there's no way to have known that he'd be a positive influence on the kids as his NHL career seemingly slipped out of grasp. The Leafs took a chance on him adjusting well to the situation.
