Surviving recent roster cuts, the resilient defenseman is outplaying expectations, leveraging refined puck-moving skills and consistency to challenge established veterans for a permanent spot on Minnesota’s blue line.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — David Spacek entered Minnesota Wild training camp facing an uphill battle to earn a spot on the NHL roster.
With the Wild now down to 27 players, the 23-year-old defenseman has made that decision much more difficult than it may have appeared at the start of camp.
Carson Lambos, Roman Schmidt and Matt Kiersted were among the defensemen placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to Iowa. Ben Dexheimer and Viking Gustafsson Nyberg were sent directly to Iowa.
Spacek, however, survived the cuts.
And based on how the 23-year-old defenseman has performed throughout training camp, it isn’t difficult to understand why.
“Spacek’s had a very good camp,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “What I see with him more now is I think he’s stronger. He plays the right way. I think his ability to break out and move the puck has been good. Defensively, he’s been solid. He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s got a good stick, uses angles.
“He’s been very, very consistent throughout camp.”
Spacek entered camp on the outside looking in when it came to Minnesota’s NHL blue line.
Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber opened camp together on the top pair, while Jonas Brodin skated alongside Jared Spurgeon. Olli Määttä and Zach Bogosian comprised the third pair, with Daemon Hunt and Spacek behind them.
But Spacek has done about as much as he could to make Minnesota’s decision more difficult.
The right-shot defenseman has looked comfortable moving the puck, defended well and continued the progression he showed last season.
Spacek recorded seven goals and 36 points in 59 games for Iowa last season and also received his first taste of the NHL, appearing in two games for Minnesota.
Now he looks much closer to being capable of handling NHL minutes. The difficult part is finding them.
Spacek is a right-shot defenseman on a team that already has Faber and Spurgeon occupying the right side of its top two defensive pairs. That leaves Bogosian, 36, as the veteran currently positioned on the right side of Minnesota’s third pair.
Bogosian brings experience, size and physicality to the Wild’s blue line, but Spacek’s performance throughout camp has at least made the situation worth watching.
Spacek provides a younger, puck-moving alternative and has shown throughout camp that he may be ready for a larger opportunity than another full season in Iowa.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Minnesota will give it to him immediately. The Wild have a big decision to make considering Spacek will need waivers to be sent down to Iowa.
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