Fabian Wagner is a very intelligent center who plays a strong two-way game, showing high-end instincts and positioning when he’s away from the puck. He can carry a lot of speed through the neutral zone, but is patient enough to allow a lane to open up for himself before attacking it. When he enters the offensive zone, he has his head up looking for a pass, and has the confidence to wait for a play to open up before dishing it off. He can attack on offense in a variety of ways and will get creative in generate scoring chances for himself and his team. It’s difficult to contain him as he can be slippery and tough to knock down because of his excellent balance. His passing ability is his primary offensive threat. He can find open teammates and put the puck on their tape, especially from behind the net. His shot is decent, but does not have a great release or accuracy when using it. Seeing the improvements he has made year-over-year defensively is a reason to be optimistic about where his development is headed. Working hard at both ends of the ice, he is excellent at applying pressure and winning battles for the puck. He also supports his defense very well and does so through excellent positioning and communication. He is not the strongest player on the ice and will need to improve in this area, but he does play with no fear so it does not limit him as much as it could. Even though he is relentless while skating, he lacks high-end speed. Working on his lower-body strength could help him get faster and allow him to create even more separation than he already does. Two-way centers at this age can be a rare commodity and the base package Wagner has to work with is enough to invest a mid round pick on at the draft.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide