Spaling upside

[Kritty]

I'm curious from usual observers, what is the upside of Nick Spaling? Seen only as a 3rd line centre down the road or does he have more upside than that? What are his projections?

[utmfisher19]

Originally Posted by Kritty

I'm curious from usual observers, what is the upside of Nick Spaling? Seen only as a 3rd line centre down the road or does he have more upside than that? What are his projections?

I think that is his MAX potential. I would put him in a lesser class than Goc, but SLIGHTLY above Smithson/Mueller. That being said, he is an EXCELLENT PK'er and will likely be the successor to Smithson/Ward as our top PK guy in years to come.

[Paranoid Android]

Originally Posted by utmfisher19

I think that is his MAX potential. I would put him in a lesser class than Goc, but SLIGHTLY above Smithson/Mueller. That being said, he is an EXCELLENT PK'er and will likely be the successor to Smithson/Ward as our top PK guy in years to come.

Yeah, this. I don't see him ever cracking a pure scoring line. BUT I think his upside is a very good, reliable 3rd liner. Comparable to someone like Pahlsson

[predfan24]

I like to say he's going to be Smithson with more skill and less physicality.

[Top 6 Spaling]

First off, I'm biased because I just love the kid.

No, he will never make a scoring line. I do think he will be one of the top 3rd line centers in the league, as well as a top PKer. He works hard night-in night-out, and makes some great plays on the PK. I can't think of anyone outside of Hornqvist that works as hard as him. I can't wait to keep him around over Ward and Smithson.

[ThirdManIn]

I have a man-crush on Spaling. The kid's motor never stops. He won't throw a lot of big hits, and he won't put up a lot of points. He does well along the boards, his positioning is almost always great, he provides energy, and he is a penalty killing machine.

If he's in your top six you either have a ton of injuries, or you're looking to tank the season.

[glenngineer]

Belak compared him to Yelle the other night which was a great compliment I thought. He'll be a very good 3rd line center for years to come. Great on the PK. Extremely cerebral player. He's a guy that rarely hurts a team with his decisions on the ice. Doesn't take bad penalties for the most part. Hustles. Well liked teammate too which goes a long way.