By: Andrew Bluestein | Follow Me On Twitter / X @adbblue
With the Boston Bruins having multiple defenseman miss time from injury this season, different guys have gotten opportunities to get into the lineup. Parker Wotherspoon is one of those players, and he’s taken his opportunity and ran with it. He has been more than solid in the defensive zone and has contributed in different ways every time he’s been in the lineup.
Wotherspoon signed a one-year $775,000 two-way contract this past off-season. The former fourth-round pick of the New York Islanders has played 17 games this season, passing his career high last year of 12. He has stepped up big time for the Black and Gold and is inching closer to earning another contract for this coming off-season.
His defensive game is rugged, and his confidence is continuing to grow. He spoke about playing against the top players of the Colorado Avalanche after the Bruins’ 5-2 win over them on Thursday night, in which he recorded a beautiful primary assist.
“I love it; yeah, it’s great. Obviously, those are the top players in the world, so yeah, I love the matchup, I love the intensity. Those guys are a good meter to see where I’m at.” He then talked about the evaluation of his game from playing junior hockey. “Yeah, for sure, I think it’s obviously changed a lot. I think everybody in juniors is an offensive defenseman, so it’s changed since growing up and spending a lot of time in the minor leagues.”
It’s clear that Wotherspoon has really focused on becoming a defensive-minded defenseman, and it’s paid off, as he seems very comfortable in the defensive zone. He also commented on that following the win over Colorado. “Yeah, absolutely, being a defensive defenseman for sure. I spent a lot of years trying to get better at that. It’s definitely my first goal to take care of my own end.” At 6’1, Wotherspoon also doesn’t shy away from being physical and has constantly been the first one in to defend the Bruins’ net front. This has included getting into a few post-whistle scrums, which proves he has his teammate’s backs.
Wotherspoon’s play has undoubtedly earned him a permanent NHL roster spot with Boston, so it will be interesting to see how the logistics play out once everyone on the back end is healthy. Regardless of what decision is made, the Bruins should definitely start to consider signing the left-shooting defenseman to another contract.
He will be an unrestricted free agent this off-season, and scouts have surely taken note of his stellar play. He’s proven he can provide them with a great amount of defensive depth and jump right into the lineup when needed. Therefore, It would be smart and cost-effective for Boston to bring him back with the amount of salary cap room they’ll have this summer.
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