Leafs GM Brad Treliving Urged to Claim Defensive Center After Being Placed On Waivers
The Toronto Maple Leafs have the perfect addition to their bottom six if they were to place a claim on Chris Wagner, a center placed on waivers by the Avalanche.
Brad Treliving needs to make a change in his bottom six quickly, as a poor performance from several key players has led to a dismal showing from all involved. They struggle down the middle and it's tough to see Toronto employ fourth-liners in a third-line role.
If they wanted to improve down the middle, add a bit of size, scoring, and an 11-year veteran they should place a claim on Chris Wagner, who the Colorado Avalanche placed on waivers Thursday. Per Elliotte Friedman on X, who traditionally announces these moves, it was the only one of the day in the NHL:
Who is Chris Wagner?
Chris Wagner, a 33-year-old center hailing from Walpole, Massachusetts is a veteran with over 385 games split between Anaheim, Colorado, Boston, and Anaheim (2nd time). This season though he only has one goal in 12 games and playing less than 8 minutes of ice time. He's also a cheap option too, only at a cap hit of $775,000.
Not known as a scorer, with only 66 points in his career, Wagner is more known for his defense and faceoff ability. He bounced around between the AHL and NHL for the past few years and was sidelined last season with a ruptured Achilles. However, in the past, he's been a monster and had a streak of 4 seasons from 2016 to 2020 where he averaged 13 points, 201 hits, and over 45% faceoff wins.
Wagner would be a vast improvement over Pontus Holmberg and David Kampf as Toronto doesn't have many options though they could look internally. His veteran leadership and hard-nosed style fit the game plan of the Leafs, and Wagner could use a fresh start too.
Brad Treliving has until 2 PM on Friday to make a claim, and hope that other teams who can grab him first decide to take a flier. Wagner won't be the flashiest but he does offer a lot of defense, and as the adage goes:
Defense wins championships.
| POLL | ||
Should the Maple Leafs make a waiver claim for Chris Wagner if they have a chance? | ||
| Yes, they need him!! | 278 | 42.6 % |
| No, waste of roster space | 374 | 57.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
