Posts About "Nick Spaling"
James Neal Trade Revisited
June 8th, 2017 Normally when the Stanley Cup Final is in full swing the hockey world is focused on the outcomes of games and news surrounding the two clubs involved. Instead, we decided to look at two specific players involved in the seven-game series - two players that were traded for each other nearly three years ago. It was the summer of 2014 -...
Reimer, Polak, Spaling; Making Sense of Sharks-Leafs Trades
February 27th, 2016 The news broke Saturday morning Pacific time that the San Jose Sharks had acquired Leafs goaltender James Reimer and AHLer Jeremy Morin in exchange for goaltender Alex Stalock, AHLer Ben Smith and a conditional 2018 draft selection. For all the basic details of this trade, including how the fourth round pick can become a third round...
San Jose Sharks 2016 Trade Deadline Primer
February 26th, 2016 The San Jose Sharks got some shopping done early this season, acquiring defenseman Roman Polak and forward Nick Spaling from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. Stabilizing the defense corps was general manager Doug Wilson's top priority coming into the trade deadline, and the addition of Polak crosses that off the list. Still, the...
Maple Leafs Ready for Trade Deadline Day
February 24th, 2016 The Toronto Maple Leafs rebuild has finally begun in earnest. Over the summer, they loaded up on players and signed them for one and two year contracts. The plan was to raise the value of those players as much as possible, then flip them leading up to the deadline in exchange for picks and prospects. Three players have already been...
The San Jose Sharks: In It To Win It
February 23rd, 2016 There have been lots of calls for the Sharks to fire general manager Doug Wilson over the years. The uproar was especially loud after last season’s basket case of a campaign. It even included fans chanting "Fire Wilson" on fan appreciation night. That is a lot of ire in a fan base. Sharks owner Hasso Plattner stood by...
Maple Leafs Make A Perfect Trade With Polak Deal
February 22nd, 2016 Two days. Two trades. The Toronto Maple Leafs have certainly got a jump start on the NHL Trade Deadline. On Sunday, the Leafs sent center Shawn Matthias to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for prospect Colin Smith and fourth round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. The Leafs have followed that up by trading defenseman Roman Polak and center...
Sharks Acquire Roman Polak and Nick Spaling for Raffi Torres, Picks
February 22nd, 2016 The San Jose Sharks have acquired defenseman Roman Polak and forward Nick Spaling from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Raffi Torres and 2nd round draft picks in the 2017 and 2018 drafts. The move is a clear signal from San Jose that they intend to compete this season. That's not surprising with how they sit in the Pacific...
Phil Kessel: A Slumping Star
January 20th, 2016 A few short months ago, the city of Pittsburgh erupted when General manager Jim Rutherford announced he had traded for the goal scoring wing Phil Kessel. Not only because Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were finally getting the elite wing "they deserved" but because the cost of acquisition was minimal. Young defender Scott Harrington,...
Garret Sparks, Nick Spaling Out Till After Christmas
December 18th, 2015 The Toronto Maple Leafs lost both forward Nick Spaling and de factor starting goaltender Garret Sparks in the first period of Thursday's overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks. On Friday, the team announced that both will be out through the holiday break at a minimum, according to The Canadian Press's Stephen Whyno. That means the...
Leafs Lose Garret Sparks, Nick Spaling on Thursday
December 17th, 2015 The Toronto Maple Leafs didn't even make it out of the first period on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks without losing a couple of players. Nick Spaling played just a single shift before heading to the locker room. The team announced that he sustained an upper-body injury and won't return to the game. With Jonathan Bernier...
Pittsburgh Penguins: Revisiting the James Neal Trade
December 5th, 2015 During the 2014 NHL entry draft the Pittsburgh Penguins made a trade and it was a big one. They sent the goal scoring wing James Neal to the Nashville Predators for forwards Nick Spaling and Patric Hornqvist. I was not a fan of this trade when it happened and I'm still not a fan to this date. Hornqvist has been a positive addition to the...
Phil Kessel a Hidden Gem
November 30th, 2015 Phil Kessel has not missed a game since returning from shoulder surgery in 2009. He spent six years wasting away as a part of the continually disappointing Toronto Maple Leafs and he finally escaped over the offseason. Kessel has a poor reputation because of his physical size, sometimes lackadaisical backchecking and aversion...
Patric Hornqvist Deserves Criticism; Should Not Be Traded
November 11th, 2015 The date was June 27, 2014 and many of you may know it as the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. That date is also very important in the recent history of the Pittsburgh Penguins. This was the day that one of the most prolific scorers, James Neal, was traded to the Nashville Predators for forwards Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling. It was a trade...
