The Penguins' decision to take a chance on Parker Wotherspoon paid off.
The Pittsburgh Penguins made multiple moves during this past off-season that helped them get into the playoffs. Among them was signing defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to a two-year, $2 million contract in free agency.
When the Penguins signed Wotherspoon, the expectation was that he would be one of their depth defensemen. However, Wotherspoon ended up being far more than that for the Penguins and had a breakout year in the process.
Wotherspoon thrived in his first season with the Penguins, and the truth can be seen with his stats. In 80 games this campaign with the Penguins, he set new career highs with three goals, 27 assists, 30 points, 112 blocks, 162 hits, and a plus-17 rating. With numbers like these, there is no question that he had a big year for Pittsburgh.
Wotherspoon's strong all-around play helped him land a spot on the Penguins' top pairing with Erik Karlsson this season. With this, it is clear that the Penguins got fantastic value from Wotherspoon during the first season of his deal. It should even be considered one of the best signings of last off-season.
Ultimately, it is hard not to be happy with what Wotherspoon provided for the Penguins this season. It will be interesting to see what he does for an encore next season.