B’s Wagner right at home
Ex-Duck a good fit on 4th line
ANAHEIM, Calif. — It’s safe to say Chris Wagner came a long way since the last time he skated at the Rinks in Anaheim.
“Lot of hard hours,” he said. Before Wagner was traded by the Ducks to the Islanders midway through last season, he had been up and down between the minors and the NHL. In the middle of it all, he was trying to find his footing in southern California.
He had a career season last year — seven goals in 79 games across two teams — yet he’s on pace to eclipse that with his hometown Bruins.
“We were trying to figure out exactly where he fit,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He played a lot of left wing, some center, so we’re trying to see, we have (Joakim Nordstrom) down there as a left winger, move him over, do we put him at center, because Noel (Acciari) we liked on the wing, too.
“So that’s a bit on us, to find the right place for him, and I think that affected maybe his mental state as well. ‘Where do I fit in here, the coaches move me around, they sat me out once.’ I think that’s part of that. Then once he found his groove, it turns out it was with (Sean) Kuraly, I think they’re a good pair. Then Noel fits in the middle, we’ve had different guys there.”
Wagner has found his game in the past couple of months with a Bruins team that, despite all the injuries, mixing and matching of pieces, and at times flat-out lack of scoring, still has an established identity.
The way Wagner plays the game, grinding out minutes on the fourth line and bringing a physical presence, has been a steadying force.
“He understands his value to the team, and he’s delivered,” Cassidy said. “I think it’s been a two-way street, just a feeling out process. Guys take a while. … If you’re a local guy walking in, I think that takes some time, too. … All those things rolled into one, but I think it’s safe to say we’ve found what he does best for us.”
Wagner played most of his first four seasons in the NHL over two stints with the Ducks, with just 26 games in between for the Avalanche in 2015-16. When he was shipped to the Islanders a year ago, he didn’t face his former team, making this trip for the Bruins the first time he’s been back in Anaheim and at his old stomping — or skating — grounds.
It’s a good chance to reflect on the path that got him to where he is now.
“You don’t worry about getting down, I’ve been sent down, you don’t take anything for granted,” he said. “… I don’t really think it’s changed much, maybe a little more confident with the puck. You get acclimated to the speed of the NHL after playing however many games.”