Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins saved one of their most surprising roster cuts for last (or close to it) Saturday, with veteran forward Chris Wagner and defenseman John Moore placed on waivers.
Wagner’s move to the waiver wire comes after a 2021 preseason that included three shots, six hits, and three blocked shots in three preseason appearances, and following a 2021 regular season that saw the Walpole, Mass. native score two goals and five points, along with 75 hits and 21 blocked shots, in 41 games.
Wagner is entering the second year of a three-year extension that comes with a $1.35 million cap hit.
With Wagner on waivers, and Curtis Lazar expected to begin the year on the shelf, the Bruins will seemingly have a fourth-line vacancy competition between Anton Blidh, Karson Kuhlman, and Jack Studnicka.
Moore, meanwhile, will be available to the league after a preseason effort that featured two assists, four hits, and seven blocks in three games played. Moore’s move to the waiver wire is a bit surprising in the sense that he played the right side for the majority of training camp, and appeared to be the next man up in the event of an injury or slump on the B’s right side, which is the thinnest its been at almost any point under Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy.
The 30-year-old Moore, who appeared in just five games last year before undergoing season-ending hip surgery, is entering the fourth year of a five-year, $13.75 million contract signed in 2018.
Moore’s departure leaves Jakub Zboril as the team’s new No. 7 defenseman.
If unclaimed, the Moore-Wagner duo will count for $1.85 million against Boston cap, freeing $2.25 million.
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Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.