Patric Hornqvist
Hornqvist was "Mr. Irrelevant" in the 2005 draft, selected with the final pick by the Nashville Predators. It is not often that the last pick turns into a Top 6 forward, but Hornqvist has. He is coming of a career year in Nashville, putting up 22 G, 53pts and only 28 PIM in 76 games. For some, those may not be impressive numbers, but Nashville is not a very good offensive team. Fifty-plus points in Nashville, in my opinion, is comparable to seventy, eighty points in other systems. For his career, he has played in 363 career games, scored 106 goals and put up 216 career points.
Jim Rutherford said that Hornqvist, "plays with an edge, goes to the net, works the corners. We like his all -around play." If this holds true, he will remind many of Chris Kunitz. He is similar in size to Kunitz and he is a battler, going to the dirty areas and annoying the opposition in the crease and corners. He should find a lot of success skating alongside Malkin if he fits that mold. He is not the flashy player that James Neal was, but he is the type of player the Pens have desperately needed.
Nick Spaling
Spaling in his own right really is not a scrub. He was a 2nd round choice (58th overall) by the Preds in the 2007 draft. Like Hornqvist, he is coming off a career year, scoring 13 goals and 32 points in a Bottom 6 role on an offensively deficient Predators team. His career numbers are not phenomenal offensively, but he is a solid defensive forward and without a doubt has better scoring touch than Tanner Glass or Joe Vitale has had in recent years. In the past 13, 9, 10 goals in the last 3 seasons and has been under 35 PIM a year every year in Nashville.
Jim Rutherford really likes Spaling and he was the piece that made him move forward with this trade. He sees him as a solid 3rd or 4th line forward, one who can play all three forward positions and should be on the penalty killing corps come October. The one problem with Spaling, in my opinion at least, is he is a restricted free agent come July 1st. He made 1.5 million last year, and will probably get that again if not slightly more. That is a little disconcerting, especially with the cap issues the Pens have at the moment.
Conclusions
As for Hornqvist and Spaling, the fan base cannot vilify these guys because they are angry over Neal's departure. I think Patric Hornqvist could become a fan favorite as Neal was in Pittsburgh. He has the talent and the reputation as a grinding scoring threat and a guy who won't shy away from the dirty areas. The Pens have not had that since Billy Guerin and Ryan Malone left in 2009 and 2008 respectively. Hornqvist will be a good player in black and gold, one who I feel will really be elevated (as Neal was) by skating with Malkin. As for Spaling, if the restricted free agent resigns for 1.5 million on July 1st and is able to bring some scoring to the Bottom 6, I will not be disappointed. He is a role player, but he is a more competent role player than Glass or Vitale have been in the last two seasons. So Pens nation, do not hate on these guys because of your anger, welcome them to the Burgh and support them like you supported the Real Deal for the last four years.