The Bruins have signed defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to a one-year, $800K extension, per Darren Dreger of TSN.
Wotherspoon, 26, has played in a career-high 32 games this season, recording six assists and a +5 rating while averaging 17:58 per outing. He’s been a frugal free-agent pickup for GM Don Sweeney, who signed Wotherspoon to a one-year, two-way deal ($775K NHL/$450K AHL) when he reached Group VI status last summer.
His ice time has steadily increased as the season progresses, logging some significant penalty-kill time with veteran Derek Forbort battling injuries and inconsistent play. He’s been passable on special teams and at even strength, where he’s recorded a solid 46.7 CF% and 51.3 xGF% in extreme defensive-zone usage.
A fourth-round pick of the Islanders in 2015, Wotherspoon spent parts of eight seasons with their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport before making his NHL debut last season. He was solid in a 12-game stint, recording an assist and a +5 rating, but the Islanders opted not to re-sign him and let him reach free agency.
Wotherspoon was set to be an RFA with arbitration rights this summer. This will be the first one-way contract of his career.
Makes perfect sense to me another unnecessary use of cap space from Sweeney its may only be for 800,000 but the NHL every penny counts because it’s a hard cap league
Rest of the Eastern Conference contenders: “Let’s sign Guentzel, and Tarasenko, and Duclair, and Wennberg!”
Don Sweeney: “Who is our worst d-man? He needs an extension!”