Confirmed Signing with Link: Nick Spaling to Europe (Genève-Servette - NLA)

[Zen Arcade]

Do higher tier European teams offer any sort of accommodations for players?

I know some low level minor league teams do it in the US, but they cram like a dozen players into an apartment or whatever.

 

[Reznor]

Do higher tier European teams offer any sort of accommodations for players?

I know some low level minor league teams do it in the US, but they cram like a dozen players into an apartment or whatever.

Usually in Switzerland the team pays for the appartment, car and other smaller things like cleaning service for foreign players.

 

[Zen Arcade]

Usually in Switzerland the team pays for the appartment, car and other smaller things like cleaning service for foreign players.

That's what I figured, that makes things more enticing for a foreign player that hasn't necessarily made a ton of money in their career.

 

[beowulf]

That's what I figured, that makes things more enticing for a foreign player that hasn't necessarily made a ton of money in their career.

It's also a good way to keep playing hockey for a living instead of having to join the rest of us in the real world with a 9-5 job etc.

 

[TheFinalWord]

I'd be willing to bet he's making a little bit more than that. Plus he's playing in Switzerland now. That places is worth the discount.

Switzerland is gorgeous, but also pretty much the most expensive country to live in the world.

 

[Agalloch]

Now Official.

 

[Treb]

Switzerland is gorgeous, but also pretty much the most expensive country to live in the world.

Yup, according to this website ( http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings.jsp ) the only city more expensive than Geneve and Zurich is Hamilton in Bermuda (which is very far from anything). In fact, 5 of the top 7 cities are in Switzerland.

Most of the bottom-30 cities are in India.

If we rank hockey countries by their cost of living

Switzerland 125.67
Norway
Denmark
Sweden
France
Finland
USA 73.21
Netherlands
UK
Austria
Italy
Canada 69.09
Germany
Lithuania
Slovakia
Czech Republic 41.60
Poland
Russia 35.63
Belarus 34.40

If you're good enough to have a high salary, Russia would be the most profitable.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Spaling is the most nondescript NHL player I've seen in all my time watching hockey.

Not bad, not good, just kind of there.

 

[SEALBound]

was always a popular player in Nashville. Basically a perfect bottom six center...good PKer, good faceoffs, usually good for 10-12 goals.

Surprised he didn't catch on somewhere.

I think that was almost his issue though...such a vanilla player. Decent as all things, great at nothing. Problem is, you can get similar efforts / stats out of a young call up for $800k guy.

I would give a young guy with upside the chance in the regular season 10 times out of 10 times over Spaling. Spaling may be more useful come playoff time where teams want a "safe" 4th line player, much like San Jose did.

 

[Satastic]

He wasn't that bad when he was used right in SJ

Seemed like a throw in for the Polak trade but he turned out to be the better player for us

 

[Toene]

Spaling is the most nondescript NHL player I've seen in all my time watching hockey.

Not bad, not good, just kind of there.

I would like to introduce you to Mr Flynn, Brian Flynn.

 

[Nithoniniel]

When you're no longer a solid, all-round NHL option you usually have to bring a specific edge in a certain role to stick around in the league. Spaling ended up in a place where he was a decent option for any open spot, but never a bad one. That's unlikely to find you a place as anything but a versatile depth forward in case of injuries.

 

[weastern bias]

I liked Spaling in SJ, he was fine as a 4th liner

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Probably the most average, vanilla player I've ever seen

Agreed. Not sure how he played elsewhere, but in Pittsburgh he was one of the most vanilla, dime-a-dozen players I've seen in the past decade. Didn't seem to do anything bad, but also didn't seem to actually contribute anything positive, either. He was just there.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Add another Pens fan voice saying he's the most unbelievably average player I've ever seen. Figured he had another year in the NHL before the inevitable move to Europe.

 

[chrisp200]

Probably the most average, vanilla player I've ever seen

Adam Hall tho...

 

[izzy]

Almost wins stanley cup, leaves NHL

 

[Seedling]

Gagner gets a contract and Spaling has to go to Europe? Okay. One can hold his own in the NHL the other cannot.

 

[Extra Texture]

Probably the most average, vanilla player I've ever seen

I was excited getting him as a throw in with the Horns deal, but he was a huge let down.

Still, the whole team was last year. I wonder how much improvement he would have had on the Pens this year, considering the magic Sullivan worked on the roster

 

[57special]

Cost of living index ( http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/):

Geneva: 133.26
New York: 100
Nashville: 69.74
Toronto: 68.65
Montreal: 67.02

While I won't dispute the COL in Geneva vs., say, Toronto, those examples quoted are seriously flawed. Nashville more expensive than TOR?

Please.

 

[Greg Schuler]

He's a solid, versatile bottom six forward, I'm also surprised he couldn't get a deal somewhere in the NHL. He's about as vanilla as it gets, but he's very reliable.

Maybe he gets a better offer next year after teams lose players to expansion.

Or teams realize players like Spaling are eminently fungible and should be treated as such. Spaling was appalling in possession last season, and aside from decent face off numbers, is replacement level. He had a career year with Pittsburgh (go figure) and cratered last year. At 27 going on 28, he is what he is, and unless an organization has a relationship with a player like Spaling, he is not a player you worry about.

That said, maybe he comes back and finds bottom six employment next season, but anyone surprised that Spaling had to go overseas is overrating the player.

 

[nomorekids]

While I won't dispute the COL in Geneva vs., say, Toronto, those examples quoted are seriously flawed. Nashville more expensive than TOR?

Please.

Nashville's primary suburbs -- Franklin, Brentwood, both in Williamson County, which last I checked was in top ten in the country for per capita and household income. I can attest, having just bought a house last year...it's a very expensive place to live.

 

[Treb]

While I won't dispute the COL in Geneva vs., say, Toronto, those examples quoted are seriously flawed. Nashville more expensive than TOR?

Please.

Apparently

You would need around 3,972.39$ (5,191.68C$) in Toronto to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 4,200.00$ in Nashville, TN (assuming you rent in both cities). This calculation uses our Cost of Living Plus Rent Index to compare cost of living. This assumes net earnings (after income tax).

But anyway the point is:

You would need around 10,136.62C$ (7,566.10Fr.) in Geneva to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 5,200.00C$ in Toronto (assuming you rent in both cities). This calculation uses our Cost of Living Plus Rent Index to compare cost of living. This assumes net earnings (after income tax).

 

[clefty]

Nick Spaling's ethos is, "I can't be a bad player if I don't do anything"

 

[Zen Arcade]

Or teams realize players like Spaling are eminently fungible and should be treated as such. Spaling was appalling in possession last season, and aside from decent face off numbers, is replacement level. He had a career year with Pittsburgh (go figure) and cratered last year. At 27 going on 28, he is what he is, and unless an organization has a relationship with a player like Spaling, he is not a player you worry about.

That said, maybe he comes back and finds bottom six employment next season, but anyone surprised that Spaling had to go overseas is overrating the player.

It is odd for someone his age to head over to Europe vs. signing a two way deal. Worse players hang around into their early 30's.

I don't think he's a indispensable asset or anything, but neither are the Kevin Porters and Andrew Ebbetts of the world.

I say this while remembering the text under my username is mocking him.