He has been paired with Suter, Clark and Stoner and all of them have looked bad when they have had to play with him. I realize we don't have a lot of good alternatives this season but assuming he is due for a decent raise after this season I would rather not see him return next season.
He wasn't BAD with Suter, in fact it had more to do with Suter getting used to a new D-partner than Spurgeon being necessarily bad. We all mistook Suter for a elite stay-at-home guy, when in reality he's more of a puck mover. That's why Spurgeon might not be the best pair for him. Of course, they were a competitive pairing. We're just getting spoiled in hindsight with Suter and Brodin being so good.
As for Stoner, we all know which one of those two is better. Stoner would be the ideal type of D partner for Spurgeon if he had any hands at all. I've said it all season long that Spurgeon needs to be paired with a physical, big defensive D-man. Think Stoner or Falk.
As for Clark, as much as I've liked his shoot-first mentality, he probably shouldn't be in NHL. It's a shame, because I like his shot and he can bring physicality, but his gap control is terrible and he's, well, bad defensively. While Spurgeon isn't great defensively either, he at least has good hockey IQ and considering his size, he is much better on our end than some other offensive D-men around the league.
I'm still baffled that they haven't paired him with Falk. They played together in Spokane as well as in Houston. Falk, at least Good Falk, is EXACTLY the kind of guy that's suited to play with Spurgeon.
Breakouts: he does one of two things... either pass it to his d-partner to let him do it (which was an awful idea when he was paired with Stoner)
EVERY SINGLE ****ING D IN NHL MAKES PASSES TO HIS ******* D PARTNER. Have you ever, like, EVER watched hockey? SERIOUSLY? That statement was bad and you should feel bad.
He is one of the few players we have that actually brings the puck to the zone as opposed to dumping and chasing. I like it, and it's sometimes exactly the right thing to do. Sometimes, well, you just CAN'T make the lead pass or bring it in yourself, either due to tight defensive coverage, line change in progress or opposing team's trap. In that case, you simply have to pass to your D partner, no matter who it is. It's just part of the game, and you'll notice Suter and Brodin doing that a helluva lot. It's simply because they're so damn good at it that you don't notice or complain about it.[/QUOTE]
In front of our net: You will never see him play the body and clear someone from the front of the net.
I'd like to see you try removing Bertuzzi or Iginla from the front of the net if you're 5'8" with skates on. Have you seen Karlsson clearing the crease either? No, of course you haven't, because HE'S A ****ING OFFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN. Clearing the crease is his D-partner's job, his job is to get into the passing lanes and block the potential passes to the crease. That's simply defense 101.
He often tries position himself between the puck carrier and any in-front of the net presence in hopes to block any pass attempts. When it works it's great when it doesn't Backs doesn't have the agility to recover and often results in a goal or great scoring opportunity.
BREAKING NEWS: Pass to the front of the net creates a scoring opportunity. Oh ****, I'm so glad that Spurgeon is the only D-man in the entire NHL who can't block every single pass that comes within 5 feet of him. I mean, imagine all the goals that would be scored that way! Woah, there would have to be HUNDREDS.
Oh wait, there are and it's a common tactic? Nevermind, then.
Holding the puck in the offensive zone: If he ever holds it in I'm surprised
Maybe last season, yeah. Have you noticed that this year he's been much better in that area? Maybe it has something to do with the improved quality of the passes? Hmm? Have you ever tried to control a bouncing puck that's on its side and travelling at 30 MPH towards you? Most likely, it IS going to hop over the god damn stick. That's physics. He's actually surprisingly good at controlling the puck, considering that his stick is like what, 5 inches too long for him. He also gets his body in front of the puck when it's literally impossible to control, not only holding the zone but creating an offensive opportunity with a quick, good pass afterwards.
Could someone please explain to me what Spurgeon brings to this team besides a decent shot and a bit of speed?
Passing, excellent offensive instincts and great puck movement, especially on PP. You might be claiming that he is not physical, well, to me he is surprisingly so. He simply doesn't have the size to hit many guys, so he hip checks them instead, like he did to Roman Josi earlier in the season. He can drive a bigger guy into the boards, and it might not be a crushing hit but it doesn't have to be. Often it results in a turnover, and that's exactly what a hit is supposed to do.
Also, did you happen to notice that he was HIT FROM BEHIND HEAD FIRST INTO THE GOD DAMN BOARDS yesterday? Forget about playing like a ****ing superstar, it's a bloody miracle that he even played after that. It shows heart, which you can't deny he has loads of. You can't expect him to set the world on fire after suffering something like that, and yet, he played a decent game. Not his best, but he was also paired with Clark who was... less than impressive, shall I say. Spurgeon had 2 shots and 2 blocked shots yesterday, and was +/- 0 on the stat sheet.
Also, did I forget to mention that he has 5+9=14 points this season? That's not a small contribution. In fact, points-wise, he is 2nd among Wild D and 8th among Wild skaters, despite missing 9 games due to injury earlier in the season. He has played least games in the top-10, but is still 4 points ahead of Tom Gilbert (with 4 less games played), who not only has more experience but was also widely considered a better player before the season started.
Do you need more? Well, he's more: He is 2nd in PP goals, tied with Devin Setoguchi. I'll say that again: ONLY ZACH PARISE HAS MORE PP GOALS THAN HIM. ******* ****, DO YOU EVEN REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT PP GOALS ARE? Seriously? Not to mention, speaking of powerplays, that he only has 4 PIM this year in his 34 GP. FOUR. Only players who have fewer than that are Clark and Pominville, who have played 6 and 7 games, respectively, with the Wild.
Now its your turn. Prove me why Jared Spurgeon doesn't deserve an extension, and show me who the Wild should get instead. Keep in mind point totals, overall play and salary.
