Acquired alongside Patric Hornqvist at the draft, Nick Spaling was looking for a pay raise from his old 1.5 million annual deal. Spaling filed for arbitration a few weeks ago, and were set to have a hearing today before they came to terms. The Pens were offering in the 1.8 million annual range. Spaling was looking for a deal in the 2.8 million range. In the end, both sides settled on a 2-year deal, worth 2.2 million annually (4.4 total).
What to expect from Spaling
Firstly, it is a good deal for the Pens. Arbitration normally favors the player, so the fact the Pens could strike the deal at 2.2 million is fine. Had the hearing occurred, I think he would have gotten somewhere in the 2.4-2.8 region had arbitration happened. So for the Pens, a 2.2 million dollar cap hit is something they can live with.
Next, what does this mean for Brandon Sutter's negotiations. According to multiple reports the Pens and Sutter are closer to making a deal. Some say it could come as early as next week. The Pens now have roughly 4.3 million dollars left in cap space to play with. Sutter reportedly wants a one-year deal in the neighborhood of four million. I personally hope that he signs a multi-year deal (2 to 3 years) between 3.5-3.75 million annually. Stay tuned for more on that.
Back to Spaling, we don't know exactly what we are getting in Nick Spaling. He is coming off a career year and has earned the raise. If he could repeat the 13 goal, 32 point performance last year on the 3rd line here, he's worth it. I don't think he is a Tyler Kennedy, who put up close to 50 points, cashed in, then fell off the face of the earth. I think he will be closer to Matt Cooke; put up 20-30 points and be a solid defensive player.
Finally, where does he fit in? Spaling is playing on the 3rd line. Goc will anchor the 4th and Spaling will wing with Sutter following his re-signing. If Kasperi Kapanen makes the team, I think the best option is to go Spaling-Sutter-Dupuis/Bennett on the 3rd line. At some point, the Pens need to see what they have in Bennett and with Dupuis coming off the knee injury, he would benefit from fewer minutes. I feel a consistent line of Spaling-Sutter-Bennett/Dupuis will elevate both Sutter and Spaling's games. Remember, Sutter's best stretch came in late-November, early-December when he played about 10 straight games with consistent line mates.
Final Thoughts
As to what to expect from Spaling, don't complain until you see the guy on the ice. Like I said with Patric Hornqvist a month ago, we don't know what we have yet and it's not fair to make him out as the Devil just because he was part of the James Neal deal. Spaling is a solid forward. He is a solid defensive player. He will be an asset on the penalty kill and let's face it. If he puts up anywhere close to 30 points he is an upgrade to what we had last year. From where I stand, the Pens made out well on this deal. Nothing left to do but sign Sutter and hit the ice.