Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon
He was the Pittsburgh Penguins’ first free agent signing of the summer. At least for the moment, Parker Wotherspoon seems to be a good fit in a place of need for the team.
Maybe two places of need.
The left-side defense is a lot less settled than the right, and Wotherspoon could provide some stability on the left. In addition, the left-handed shot has seemed to fit well alongside Erik Karlsson.
Those two were paired for some of training camp, were together in Tuesday’s season-opening 3-0 win over the New York Rangers, and practiced together Wednesday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. Wotherspoon played 23:15 in that game, the second-most of his career.
There’s some chemistry there, with the steady defensive play of Wotherspoon and the highly-skilled star power of Karlsson.
“Absolutely,” Wotherspoon said. “Obviously, yin and yang. He’s such a good player. Super fast. Good puck skills. Good movement. Easy guy to play with. Hell of a player.
“As we get more acclimated, it will even get better. He’s been helping me a lot along the way. It’s been a good little start, a good Game One.”
There is no guarantee the two will stay together, but Karlsson had a strong opening game, which bodes well for the pairing for now.
“Right now, as a starting point, I think they complement each other well,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “Parker is a guy who takes a lot of pride in his defensive game, and takes a lot of pride in the details. He’s shown that. When you have a defensemen that you know is going to be involved in the offense a little bit more (such as Karlsson), I think there can be a comfort level there, there can be a complement to each other. We’re seeing some of that.”
Karlsson’s first two seasons – by his and others’ accounts, including president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas – did not live up to his reputation. He was coming off a 101-point Norris Trophy season with San Jose before signing with the Penguins.
It’s not always easy to play with high-end talent, but Wotherspoon said Karlsson’s style and personality are anything but problematic.
“I’ve never played with a player as good as him,” Wotherspoon said “With Erik, he’s easy to talk to. After every single play or even on the bench, in practices, I’m always asking him what he likes. There’s always talk. As long as we keep that chatter open, we’re not going to be perfect, but he’s an understanding guy. He’s not like a diva or anything. He’s super humble.”
While Karlsson has been maligned for defensive mistakes the past couple seasons, Wotherspoon was quick to discount the idea that he has to be the responsible one in the pairing, with Karlsson taking chances to join the offense or perhaps making a defensive error.
“No. Erik takes care of the puck just as much as any other good defenseman,” Wotherspoon said. “He knows I’m going to be back there, and that’s kind of what I take pride in. Like I said, yin and yang. I expect him to be up on the play, and I expect to have the chance to bail him out if need be, but for the most part he’s making good plays out there. It’s the odd time that I have to cover him.”
Wotherspoon, 28, has been described as something of a late bloomer. He has spent a good deal of time in the American Hockey League and has logged just 109 NHL games, with 16 points, playing previously for the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins.
Like the Penguins, the Bruins missed the playoffs last year. Still, Wotherspoon signed a two-year, $2 million deal with the Penguins.
“The stature of the organization, all the good players that have come through here — I came here because I want to win,” Wotherspoon said. “When I was in the playoffs a couple years ago (with Boston), it was the best time of my life. That’s what I want to get back to. I know this core here can.
“It seemed like there was going to be a lot of life, new coach and all that. It seemed like a good fit from the start.”
After he signed, Wotherspoon said he put himself through one of his more taxing offseason of training regimens, including starting earlier than normal.
He emerged from a competitive training camp with a spot in the lineup and the confidence that he can fully establish himself in the NHL this season.
“Getting the chance to play with ‘Karl’ helps a lot,” he said.
Tags: Dan Muse erik karlsson Parker Wotherspoon Pittsburgh Penguins Shelly Anderson
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