Jared Spurgeon
Another player who never wore an Islanders uniform, Spurgeon has turned out to be a diamond in the rough for the Wild. The former sixth-round draft pick in 2008 has exceeded any and all expectations since leaving the Islanders and finding a home with the Wild in the 2010-11 season.
Fast forward to today, Spurgeon is the captain of the Wild after Mikko Koivu retired following the 2019-20 season. Spurgeon provided three assists in six games and was a plus-1 after being eliminated by the Blues.
The highlight of his performance in the 2022 playoffs is one Spurgeon will want to learn from and soon forget. The veteran defenseman was fined $5,000 by the Department of Player Safety, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Pavel Buchnevich with a vicious blow to his Achilles. Buchnevich luckily skated away unharmed.