Playing a majority of the season with Ryan Suter, Spurgeon isn't the better-known name on Minnesota's top pairing. To Bruce Boudreau, who likes "absolutely everything" he's seen from Spurgeon this season, it's almost unthinkable how Spurgeon flies under the radar.
"He's another one of those national treasures that nobody hears about, but you wonder why your team does good and he's one of the big reasons why," Boudreau said.
But, credit where credit is due.
A big part of the team's offensive success in the past two seasons is due to the encouragement of the coaching staff, and the trust instilled in Spurgeon, Suter and others on the back end.
"We're always encouraged to get to the play and make the reads when we can," said Wild defenseman Matt Dumba. "We've got a really solid D core and we've been playing together now for a while, so I think it's a combination of all that, and a little puck luck as well."
Still, puck luck can only take you so far. Even the luckiest deflections won't happen unless a player is in the correct position or prepared for the play. Spurgeon has reliably set up wherever he needs to be.