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Forums :: Blog World :: Ben Shelley: Reviewing the season: Austin Wagner
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Ben Shelley
Los Angeles Kings
Location: ON
Joined: 04.09.2020

Jul 23 @ 11:06 AM ET
Ben Shelley: Reviewing the season: Austin Wagner
Osprey
Joined: 11.10.2015

Jul 23 @ 12:47 PM ET
We're already up to the Ws? These player evaluations went by almost as quickly as the Kings' season.
tkecanuck341
Los Angeles Kings
Location: Irvine, CA
Joined: 06.25.2009

Jul 23 @ 4:01 PM ET
Even if Wagner doesn't start producing, I suspect he'll have a spot on the Kings roster. He's one of the few remaining Kings forwards that bring the physical play (much needed with Clifford's departure), and his nightly breakaways frequently draw penalties. He'll have to make it out the other side of the expansion draft (The Athletic's expansion draft preview from earlier this month have him as the player that Seattle will take), but I can see him as the long term 4RW on this team.

His defensive play is still a little bit suspect, and he sometimes makes some poor decisions in his own zone, but if he can figure that stuff out, he'd be a good option for the PK as well. He and Kempe as a PK pair would significantly reduce the amount of time the defensemen have to set up in the zone.

Grundstrom-JAD-Wagner