Penguins/NHL
It is very early, the Penguins were playing the Hurricanes JV team, and NHL front office types will often say don’t read much of anything into how players perform during the first week of the preseason (the real evaluation period begins during the second week of preseason games) but 2015 2nd round pick Daniel Sprong has caught even Penguin officials by surprise at how his game looks more developed than they even believed it was or would show against NHL talent. [hide]
Among the standouts in camp so far, Sprong tonight had a goal and assist in the Penguins 7-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Regarded by scouts coming in as a hot dog player who tries to make the fancy 1-on-1 play and doesn’t care about playing in his own end, Sprong has been the opposite so far.
He handled the physical play well down low tonight and what really stands out is the ability to find players in space, something Mike Johnston noted after the game.
“He [caught] my eye in the London tournament,” Johnston said. “If you’re looking at a guy that just got drafted, Sprong he’s got a good stick, he’s strong on the puck, his awareness, he see’s people all over the ice.”
I had one high ranking official tell me today that Sprong is more physically ready to play in the NHL as an 18 year old than Kasperi Kapanen was last year when the Penguins gave some thought to keeping Kapanen around.
Johnston said to expect Sprong to stay around for a while.
“He’ll probably get a long look here through training camp,” Johnston said of Sprong. “He’s going to be a top winger. To get top wingers in an organization that has very good centers is a positive. That was a good pick by our scouts.”[/hide]
Look but don’t touch. No way he can produce enough this year to sacrifice a year of his ELC..not with how guys are getting paid on bridge deals now. Maybe we can give him the 7-8 game window that you are allowed to.
We agree here… we rushed Bennett up and it hurt him. With the forward depth on this team all of a sudden we dont need to bring this guy in right away. When he is ready he gets his shot. 9 games and thats really all we should give. Even if he plays real well in the 9 dont mean it wont catch up with him later in the year
Agree and disagree, Bennett’s issue with being rushed was with his physical maturity not his ability to play the game, I don’t see that being an issue with Sprong who I see being closer to Maata’s situation than I do Bennett’s. The only way I’m ok with them keeping him is if they are sure he will have a prominent role all season like Maata’s did, if there’s concern that they only be able to use him 50-60 games or in a limited role then it’s a wasted year. Gonna be interesting to see how it plays out because he’s… Read more »
I’m not concernd about him being rushed. I just doubt Sprong at 28 is worth paying him $4 million a year at 22.
When you look at the top 9… Malkin, Crosby, Perron, Hornqvist and Kessel are locks. Fehr, Bonino, Kunitz and Dupuis round out the top 9 for the most part. All have salary you dont really wanna bench unless they do not perform. Now we may use Fehr or Bonino as a 4th line C… you still have Plotnikov to work in there. So unless we justify placing a couple of the 3.5+ million dollar guys into roles that may afford them 10 or less minutes a game I don’t think there is a need to rush Sprong up. While he… Read more »
Well I think dollars/cents matter in the cap era and for a Penguins team that is in a good hockey town but not a gigantic market. If you keep Sprong this year you have think he’s a 50/60 point player in a top 6 role. A bottom 6 role where is marginally better than Bennett or Fehr or 4th line role where’s better than Rust by a little just isn’t worth giving up a cost control year when he is a top 6 forward. I believe he can’t play in the AHL next year so giving him a 9 game… Read more »
I just got really hungry.
I thought Phil was the hot dog player….