Ryan Wilson: Concerns About Nick Spaling

Beat ya Bullies

My gripe with stats is I'm sure you've never even seen Spalling play but you've already written him off. I'm pretty excited to see what type of player he can become with the Penguins.

Beat ya Bullies
- Guile

Sutter and Spaling should both stay only if Scuderi was gone. With all 3 on the roster, that's $9.25M in questionable assets.

That said, even with Scuderi, I wouldn't mind packaging either player out for a top 6 wing. I'll never let that die. We need a top 6 wing more than we need two overpriced bottom 6 guys.

My gripe with stats is I'm sure you've never even seen Spalling play but you've already written him off. I'm pretty excited to see what type of player he can become with the Penguins.
- dbell646

Lazy assumption

JR has a weird loyalty to 4th line guys who have marginal offensive talent. Sometimes they become effective top players (See LaRose, Chad) and then sometimes they become disatrous turnover machines that are in way over their head (See LaRose, Chad).

I agree goc stempniak n gibbons would fit nice in the bottom six. I didn't realize Spaling was getting pp time in nash. I don't think Rutherford realized he would b up for arbitration I would have rather seen a guy like wilson thrown in that deal with a pick

JR has a weird loyalty to 4th line guys who have marginal offensive talent. Sometimes they become effective top players (See LaRose, Chad) and then sometimes they become disatrous turnover machines that are in way over their head (See LaRose, Chad).
- BINGO!

We lived that with the old regime, let's just hope that JR and his new regime here are a little better.

I agree goc stempniak n gibbons would fit nice in the bottom six. I didn't realize Spaling was getting pp time in nash. I don't think Rutherford realized he would b up for arbitration I would have rather seen a guy like wilson thrown in that deal with a pick
- Jordy8

Uh...I'm pretty sure Rutherford new Spaling was RFA...

Here's our two new James Neal trade guys a few years back...

Uh...I'm pretty sure Rutherford new Spaling was RFA...

Here's our two new James Neal trade guys a few years back...


- icedog97

It's seem a lot of people have written Spaling off before he has played a game for the team. I've seen him play with Nashville and I'm sure he can be just as valuable as Stepniak or Gibbons but let's just wait and see.

It's seem a lot of people have written Spaling off before he has played a game for the team. I've seen him play with Nashville and I'm sure he can be just as valuable as Stepniak or Gibbons but let's just wait and see.
- stevens87

That isn't the point, the point is you could have 2 players for the price of one.

I wonder why he was so well liked in Nashville if he was a below average player? I admit I know almost nothing about him, but the way Nashville writers and fans reacted to the trade it was like we took away a budding piece to their future.

Even if he were to regress to the mean, that's what? 12/12.5% shooting? Growth as a player and a new offensive system could benefit him even if his S% were to regress. Consistent position with a better center could also help out a lot.

*Also, only 1.2 shots per game average seems to be a bit light. New system could help throw .5 more shots per game, helping the regressing out a bit.

Why wouldn;t he see any powerplay time on the second unit? I'd like to see what happens prior to making a judgement call on him... too early to serve up JR a frownie brownie on his calls. You had once wrote that you would have rather had a second round pick than spaling which I thought was odd. A young man who may not ever make it to the nhl and who on average if they did would most likely be a third line type player. instead we got that type player. new team / new system / new division, etc.

- BulliesPhan87

That was the 3rd post... no one counts the automatic post from the blog creator

I hate the name Spaling. Can we please just add the "d" it's begging for and make it Spalding?

That was the 3rd post... no one counts the automatic post from the blog creator
- Guile

I count the original post, please don't devalue our beloved blogsmith.

I count the original post, please don't devalue our beloved blogsmith.
- BulliesPhan87

But who the hell wants to compete to be the 2nd post?

But who the hell wants to compete to be the 2nd post?
- Guile

second post is first reply. Of course, "first reply" doesn't roll off the tongue, so most just claim "first"

learn the lore, noob

Why wouldn;t he see any powerplay time on the second unit? I'd like to see what happens prior to making a judgement call on him... too early to serve up JR a frownie brownie on his calls. You had once wrote that you would have rather had a second round pick than spaling which I thought was odd. A young man who may not ever make it to the nhl and who on average if they did would most likely be a third line type player. instead we got that type player. new team / new system / new division, etc.
- ChrisMS

Anybody can operate in hindsight. There is no skill in that.

I've been looking around for awhile now trying to find whatever I can on spaling to gauge what we've got.

Here are a couple posts I found from preds fans in a discussion about which RFAs they should resign this year:

Spaling. Keep. Won't put up too many points for you...but he grinds it out every game and is great on the PK.

Spaling just keeps trying. He's hard working. Another reason I want to keep him.

Spaling has had his moments. He just isn't consistent. I'm afraid that if we let him go, he'll shine somewhere else and we'll be eating it again.

Spaling is absolutely performing his role. His points haven't been bad for a guy with limited TOI and he plays the PK very well. He's also managed to keep his +/- from plummeting so he's not really a liability. Spaling is arguably an emphasis of "Predator hockey" and maybe one of its finest examples, albeit not really flashy or easily recognizable.

Spaling - still kind of a meh, but probably the person I would most likely want to keep. He's a good 3rd line depth player, and a great backup when one of the top 6 gets injured.

From what I gathered from all the posts was that he isn't a stand out player he just goes about his business, but most people wanted to keep him around. I think he may surprise us

second post is first reply. Of course, "first reply" doesn't roll off the tongue, so most just claim "first"

learn the lore, noob
- BulliesPhan87

That damn irony...

Anybody can operate in hindsight. There is no skill in that.
- Ryan_Wilson

I hope no historians catch wind of this

Anybody can operate in hindsight. There is no skill in that.
- Ryan_Wilson

Captain Hindsight! The world's best superhero at stopping tragedies the day after they happen!

Anybody can operate in hindsight. There is no skill in that.
- Ryan_Wilson

theres no skill in predicting poor play from the sidelines either. anybody can do that too.