San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) General Manager Doug Wilson announced Monday that the club has acquired defenseman Roman Polak and forward Nick Spaling from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Raffi Torres and second round selections in the 2017 and 2018 NHL Drafts.
“Roman and Nick are both quality, character players that will complement and enhance our current roster,” said Wilson. “Our existing group of players has battled hard and they have earned the right to have every chance to succeed this season.”
Polak (POH-lahk), 29, has played in 535 NHL games with Toronto and St. Louis, posting 101 points (19 goals, 82 assists) and 423 penalty minutes. This season with the Maple Leafs, he has scored 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) and 56 penalty minutes, along with a + 8 rating in 55 games. He is 5th in the NHL in hits (220), T-37th in blocked shots (102), averaging 19:44 per game with the Maple Leafs.
The six-foot-one, 236-pound native of Ostrava, Czech Republic was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 6th round (180th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He has represented the Czech Republic internationally several times, including the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Spaling, 27, has played in 414 games with Nashville, Pittsburgh and Toronto, scoring 118 points (50 goals, 68 assists) and 114 penalty minutes. This season with the Maple Leafs, he has played in 35 games, posting eight points (one goal, seven assists) and 18 penalty minutes.
The six-foot-one, 201-pound native of Palmerston, Ontario played under current Sharks Head Coach Peter DeBoer in Kitchener of the OHL. He was originally a third round selection (58th overall) of the Nashville Predators in the 2007 NHL Draft
Torres was acquired by San Jose from Arizona on April 3, 2013. He played in 16 regular season games, scoring 11 points (five goals and six assists).
