Chris Wagner had a moment in this morning’s practice at Honda Center that only further reinforces what an unusual last six months it has been for the 24-year-old center.
Wagner found himself on a 1-on-2 rush during a mid-practice drill, and his speed down the wing caused teammate Korbinian Holzer to take a spill. A half-second later, Wagner toe-dragged to completely befuddle defensive specialist Jakob Silfverberg, then waited out goalie John Gibson before burying the puck far side. Each move brought successively louder “Ohhhhhh”s from watching teammates, and the play culminated with Wagner being engulfed in a hug from teammate Chris Stewart.