During this past off-season, the Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to a two-year, $2 million contract. This was after the left-shot defenseman had one goal, seven points, and a minus-10 rating in 55 games with the Boston Bruins during the 2024-25 season. When the Penguins signed Wotherspoon, the expectation was that he would be a depth defenseman for them. Instead, the 6-foot-1 blueliner has been having a breakout year with the Penguins and has emerged as one of their most important defenseman in the process. Wotherspoon has been excellent for the Penguins this season, and the truth is in his stats. In 78 games this season with Pittsburgh, he has set new career highs with three goals, 26 assists, 29 points, and 160 blocks. With numbers like these, he has been a major pickup for the Penguins. Due to how well he has played, Wotherspoon has found a home on the Penguins' top pairing with Erik Karlsson this season. He has also become a key part of their penalty kill. With all of this, there is no question that Wotherspoon has turned out to be quite the gem for the Penguins and has been a notable reason for their major turnaround this season.
