Former Bruins Fan Favorite Released By Western Conference Contender

Former Boston Bruins fan favorite Chris Wagner is out of an NHL job at the moment.

The Colorado Avalanche announced Thursday they placed Wagner on waivers after he spent the last two seasons with the franchise. It was also his second stint with the Avalanche after playing for them for part of the 2015-16 season. Wagner didn’t make much of an on-ice impact this season, registering one goal and a minus-5 rating in 12 games.

NHL teams will have 24 hours to claim Wagner or the forward could be assigned to Colorado’s AHL affiliate.

The best seasons of Wagner’s career came with the Bruins. He played five seasons with the Black and Gold and totaled 20 goals and 14 assists in 186 games. Wagner’s hard-nosed style on the fourth line and the fact the 33-year-old is a native of Walpole, Mass., made him easy to root for amongst Bruins fans.

He earned NESN’s 7th Player Award for the 2018-19 season when he turned in a career campaign by tallying 12 goals and seven assists in 76 games. He almost won a Stanley Cup title that year, too, contributing two goals during Boston’s playoff run.

Wagner spent his last two seasons with the Bruins primarily playing in the AHL for Providence. He departed Boston and headed to Colorado in free agency following the 2022-23 season.

While a potential reunion with the Bruins comes to mind with Wagner on waivers, it feels unlikely with there being no room for him in Boston’s bottom-six forward group. And it certainly does seem given his limited playing time over the last several seasons that Wagner’s time in the NHL could possibly be over.