Confirmed with Link: Pens sign F Nick Spaling to 2-year, $4.4M contract (2.2AAV)

[UnrealMachine]

I would expect Dupuis-Sutter-Spaling to be a good defensive line but with the lack of playmaking, puck handling and passing, and cycling, do you still think Spaling puts up 30 points?

Last season, on the offensively challenged Predators, he put up 9 goals and 25 points at even strength with 13.19 ESTOI/game through 71 games. If you take into account the Nashville effect (less points) and the Pittsburgh effect (more points), he could possibly get 30 points just at even strength here. I realize that is a very optimistic view to hold, but I'm feeling optimistic, so there!

 

[wheelz87]

eh I think it's a pretty fair deal. Glad to get it done.

 

[meangene]

His possession numbers weren't great in Nashville, but Nashville as a team weren't very good possession wise. $2.2 million for a bottom-six forward is a little steep, but I think a lot of people will be pleasantly surprised. Be honest, literally anything is better than Vitale and Glass.

 

[Pharrell Williams]

His possession numbers weren't great in Nashville, but Nashville as a team weren't very good possession wise. $2.2 million for a bottom-six forward is a little steep, but I think a lot of people will be pleasantly surprised. Be honest, literally anything is better than Vitale and Glass.

How... how dare you.

 

[Uemoda]

I'm alright with this. Glad to have him locked up.

 

[Til the End of Time]

one would think if the pens were to pay a relatively premium price as they have, they could have at least signed him through one or two of his UFA years.

 

[Vujtek]

Would have liked one more year but atleast it's done now and for the next two years we can focus on seeing how he fits into the team and how he performs on ice.

Spaling, Sutter, Dupuis and Goc should be the top penalty killers for the team with Sid and Geno hopefully getting some solid PK time from now on as well.

 

[drpepper]

Last season, on the offensively challenged Predators, he put up 16 goals and 25 points at even strength with 13.19 ESTOI/game through 71 games. If you take into account the Nashville effect (less points) and the Pittsburgh effect (more points), he could possibly get 30 points just at even strength here. I realize that is a very optimistic view to hold, but I'm feeling optimistic, so there!

Pretty sure he had 9 goals and 24 pts at EV strength.

I wouldn't mind seeing Spaling and Sutter with more of a playmaker at wing occasionally to potentially take advantage of Sutter's decent shot and Spaling's net front presence.

 

[Til the End of Time]

either sutter or dupuis need to go. pens cannot afford to spend 2+ on three bottom sixers, not when there are major holes up front in the top six, and not when the bottom six likely won't be particularly good even with all that money tied up there.

 

[wej20]

meh, I think he'd have got similar in arbitration

 

[Shady Machine]

one would think if the pens were to pay a relatively premium price as they have, they could have at least signed him through one or two of his UFA years.

Yeah that's where I'm at with it.

 

[Shady Machine]

Would have liked one more year but atleast it's done now and for the next two years we can focus on seeing how he fits into the team and how he performs on ice.

Spaling, Sutter, Dupuis and Goc should be the top penalty killers for the team with Sid and Geno hopefully getting some solid PK time from now on as well.

That's a big plus for me. Huge and I mean huge improvement over watching Adams and Glass stand around on the PK. 3 of the 4 are decent threats to score the other way.

 

[Coach Travis]

Let's face it. We're making judgement calls on this contract despite not knowing anything about this player. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now despite that my knee-jerk reaction is not a pleasant one.

 

[IcedCapp]

Let's face it. We're making judgement calls on this contract despite not knowing anything about this player. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now despite that my knee-jerk reaction is not a pleasant one.

I don't know how anyone, including the Penguins, know enough about him to pay him a "premium."

Sorry if I'm not the highest on their professional scouting team (this has nothing to do with Rutherford).

The guy's history is incomplete. The Pens paid money for a career year. You neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvver do that.

 

[Shockmaster]

Would have liked one more year but atleast it's done now and for the next two years we can focus on seeing how he fits into the team and how he performs on ice.

Spaling, Sutter, Dupuis and Goc should be the top penalty killers for the team with Sid and Geno hopefully getting some solid PK time from now on as well.

You mean Adams isn't one of your top PKers?

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Glorified Endicott.

 

[Saltyseabass]

If we were gonna sell low on Neal we should of just did Neal for Hornqvist. Far better options at good deals in FA ala Stempniak. This makes the Neal trade even worse only getting him for his RFA years

 

[cassius]

either sutter or dupuis need to go. pens cannot afford to spend 2+ on three bottom sixers, not when there are major holes up front in the top six, and not when the bottom six likely won't be particularly good even with all that money tied up there.

Exactly..

 

[UnrealMachine]

Pretty sure he had 9 goals and 24 pts at EV strength.

I wouldn't mind seeing Spaling and Sutter with more of a playmaker at wing occasionally to potentially take advantage of Sutter's decent shot and Spaling's net front presence.

9 goals yes, sorry I misread earlier. It was 25 points at ES in 71 games according to NHL.com, which translates to 29 points over 82 games. http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8474096&view=splits#&navid=nhl-keymatch

 

[drpepper]

9 goals yes, sorry I misread earlier. It was 25 points at ES in 71 games according to NHL.com, which translates to 29 points over 82 games. http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8474096&view=splits#&navid=nhl-keymatch

No worries. I thought that I had maybe missed extra even strength goals. I wonder if he had a point at 4v4 to explain the discrepancy between extra skater and nhl.com

 

[Shady Machine]

If we were gonna sell low on Neal we should of just did Neal for Hornqvist. Far better options at good deals in FA ala Stempniak. This makes the Neal trade even worse only getting him for his RFA years

Nah. Getting another player makes sense. I mean we can look at things in hindsight (I did this the other day) and say "look we could have gotten this 3rd liner for a 1 year 900k contract. He's better than Spaling" but on draft day nobody knew how free agency was going to go. I'm not enamored with this contract because it's not really a prove it deal. It's paying him for his production last season without getting anything in return (either 1 year deal and keeping his RFA status after the year or buying UFA years).

 

[cassius]

In reality, Spaling is a 3rd/4th liner at best. But our top-6 situation is so bad that people are penciling him as a top-6. This is concerning. On a good team like CHI/LA, Spaling would be a 4th liner hands down.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

Dwight King is 25, 6'4", 230 lbs, scored 30 points last year in 77 games while adding 11 points in 26 playoff games. Signed for $1.95m for 3 yrs 2 RFA yrs, 1 UFA yr.

Nick Spaling is 25, 6'1", 201 lbs, scored 32 points last year in 71 games, and in 2012 he scored 3 points in 10 playoff games. Signed for $2.2m for 2 yrs, all RFA yrs.

It doesn't seem terrible, but it doesn't seem great either.

 

[Shady Machine]

In reality, Spaling is a 3rd/4th liner at best. But our top-6 situation is so bad that people are penciling him as a top-6. This is concerning. On a good team like CHI/LA, Spaling would be a 4th liner hands down.

How much of Spaling have you watched?

 

[Giant Yankee Pens]

either sutter or dupuis need to go. pens cannot afford to spend 2+ on three bottom sixers, not when there are major holes up front in the top six, and not when the bottom six likely won't be particularly good even with all that money tied up there.

Um, not that it's a great top six, but how many teams in the league have a better top 6 than the pens? Maybe 5? You guys act like dupuis in the top six now means they can't trade for a wing at the deadline.