The Pittsburgh Penguins weren't big spenders during free agency last year and took a similar approach this year. They signed players to short-term contracts with the hope of giving them good value before potentially trading them to a contender at the trade deadline. 

One of the players they brought in on July 1 was defenseman Parker Wotherspoon. He was signed to a two-year, $2 million contract.

Penguins general manager/president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas really hammered home during multiple media sessions that he wanted to improve the left side of the defense going into next season, and he hopes that Wotherspoon can be part of the solution. 

He spent the previous two seasons with the Boston Bruins after starting his NHL career with the New York Islanders in 2022-23. Wotherspoon has played in 108 games, compiling one goal and 16 points. Offense isn't his specialty, but he's a good skater and can defend his own zone well. Those two things are what the Penguins will be looking for from him since they weren't good in their own zone last year.

As it stands, the defense as a whole isn't very good but Wotherspoon is still an upgrade on the left side over some of the options they had at their disposal last year.

Featured Image Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images