Through 17 games this season, the Colorado Avalanche sit at 9-8-0, which is an incredible record given that they have missed Valeri Nichushkin, Gabriel Landeskog, Jonathan Drouin, Ross Colton, Miles Wood and Artturi Lehkonen throughout that time.
They've got several of them back and now the team are seemingly finding their groove, and with that, they've made a shocking move according to the latest NHL waiver wire.
As announced by Elliotte Friedman, the Avalanche have officially placed veteran forward Chris Wagner on waivers, with the return of Nichushkin on the horizon likely contributing to the team's decision.
In 12 games this season, the 33-year old veteran has tallied just 1 goal and a -5 differential, and with several talented young players staking their claims to spots on this roster, it makes sense for the team to part ways with Wagner at this point in time as he has simply been pushed out of the starting lineup.
Throughout his career, the former fifth-round pick has played in 385 NHL games with Anaheim, Boston and now Colorado, but with just 3 points for the Avalanche in 26 games over the past three years, he just simply wasn't contributing enough.
Wagner has already played one game for the Colorado Eagles this season in the AHL, and at this point, the team are confident that he will once again pass through waivers.
With plenty of experience however, he could be a valuable fourth line piece for contenders throughout the league, so keep a very close eye on waivers tomorrow to see how this one plays out.
POLL | ||
Will Chris Wagner be picked up by a rival team on waivers? | ||
Yes | 33 | 45.8 % |
No | 39 | 54.2 % |
List of polls |