Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign F Daniel Sprong to 1-Year Deal ($975K)

[Nuckles]

I like the signing, it's no risk/medium reward.

But knowing Tocchet I expect Sprong to be flipped for an upgrade on F/D in 2025 even if he's putting up pretty good offensive numbers.

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

69 or bust

Makes me want to watch Goon again. Also I think Silovs is going change numbers

 

[LordBacon]

First Dutch player in Canucks’ history. I know Dale Weise was “Dutch Gretzky”, but he was not, in fact, Dutch.

My life has been a lie

 

[Bleach Clean]

I like the signing, it's no risk/medium reward.

But knowing Tocchet I expect Sprong to be flipped for an upgrade on F/D in 2025 even if he's putting up pretty good offensive numbers.

Tocchet has to bend a little here. He talked about being too strict with the systems play and how it led to a lack of shots/scoring. This is his chance. Ease up and keep the scoring in house.

It's another reason I don't think Hoglander is out automatically. He'll be given a chance because he scored. Podkolzin however, he's in tough.

 

[Hit the post]

I know Dale Weise was “Dutch Gretzky”, but he was not, in fact, Dutch.

What? Van Weise isn't Dutch?

 

[Kryten]

First Dutch player in Canucks’ history. I know Dale Weise was “Dutch Gretzky”, but he was not, in fact, Dutch.

 

[TruGr1t]

Digging into this guy a bit more his stats are freaking hilarious. He is absolutely abysmal defensively but scores and generates assists at a legit top-line rate. He’s probably better offensively than Kuzmenko as he generates assists across career at a better rate and basically generates a similar goals per 60 rate. He’s not just a high-rate scorer, he’s also a well above average playmaker.

What a crazy weird player. Would be sorta nuts if Tocchet can teach him to play system defense.

 

[F A N]

Not a fan of the player but at this price why not? Gives the team another option as far as goal scoring abilities. Rutherford obviously liked this player in the past. I highly doubt Tocchet will like him. I still think he could be a fit alongside Aman.

I suppose it's also a testament to the player Sprong is given that Sprong didn't sign for something similar to what Heinen signed for somewhere.

Digging into this guy a bit more his stats are freaking hilarious. He is absolutely abysmal defensively but scores and generates assists at a legit top-line rate. He’s probably better offensively than Kuzmenko as he generates assists across career at a better rate and basically generates a similar goals per 60 rate. He’s not just a high-rate scorer, he’s also a well above average playmaker.

What a crazy weird player. Would be sorta nuts if Tocchet can teach him to play system defense.

Ya he's an odd player. He's like the equivalent of an elite pinch hitter or a guy who steps on the court and get spotted 3s.

 

[bossram]

Trying to attach Podz or Hogs to move Poolmans contract is a very dumb move, something Benning would do.

At present, there simply is no roster room for both of them. As it is, one or both will end up on the waiver wire and possibly taken for nothing.

Using one of of them as a sweetener to dump Poolman is infinitely more useful than that.

You use a mid to late round pick to move on from a single LTIR year of Poolman, you don’t attach young NHL players unless you’re getting something decent in return.

Neither of those guys has any more value than a mid-round pick right now, if that.

 

[Shareefruck]

I don't think he would work well with Aman considering that Aman himself isn't very solid defensively (despite looking like it optically).

It's a very weird fit because what he does extremely well is what Hoglander does well, without as many defensive issues (though still some).

I feel like they either work on his game and try to turn him into something more salvageable, or he gets no icetime under Tocchet and is only the 13th forward if he stays the same player.

 

[Three On Zero]

At present, there simply is no roster room for both of them. As it is, one or both will end up on the waiver wire and possibly taken for nothing.

Using one of of them as a sweetener to dump Poolman is infinitely more useful than that.


Neither of those guys has any more value than a mid-round pick right now, if that.

Podkolzin maybe, Hoglander absolutely not. Both are still more valuable then getting out of 2.5 LTIR

 

[bossram]

Digging into this guy a bit more his stats are freaking hilarious. He is absolutely abysmal defensively but scores and generates assists at a legit top-line rate. He’s probably better offensively than Kuzmenko as he generates assists across career at a better rate and basically generates a similar goals per 60 rate. He’s not just a high-rate scorer, he’s also a well above average playmaker.

What a crazy weird player. Would be sorta nuts if Tocchet can teach him to play system defense.

I guess that's the hope from many here, but I am not optimistic on that. No coach has got him to play better defense so far.

And part of why he creates offense efficiently is because of his poor defensive habits. He gets a lot of rush chances because he's a poacher, probing on blowing the zone early (or not backtracking in the NZ) in the hopes that his teammates can regain possession and hit him with a quick outlet while he's darting behind the opposition.

A lot of how he creates offense basically requires him to not be doing any defending. I've said elsewhere many times that the Canucks need more of a rush element, and this is one way to do it. But it's hard to see this meshing with Tocc.

 

[bossram]

Podkolzin maybe, Hoglander absolutely not. Both are still more valuable then getting out of 2.5 LTIR

Hoglander is a small, offense-only (that doesn't produce that much), zero-defensive utility winger. These guys have little value. I mean, look at Sprong and what the league thinks of him, and he's a far more proven scorer.

 

[Three On Zero]

Hoglander is a small, offense-only (that doesn't produce that much), zero-defensive utility winger. These guys have little value. I mean, look at Sprong and what the league thinks of him, and he's a far more proven scorer.

Hoglander just had a 24 goal season for 1.1 million, and is far more tenacious around the net with some good bite. For a 23 year old, he can just as easily bite you in the ass for trading him

 

[calnuck]

Hoglander just had a 24 goal season for 1.1 million, and is far more tenacious around the net with some good bite. For a 23 year old, he can just as easily bite you in the ass for trading him

He would absolutely bite you in the ass. Dude hits and forechecks like an animal and can chip in 20+ goals and is cheap. Why would you trade that?

 

[TruGr1t]

I guess that's the hope from many here, but I am not optimistic on that. No coach has got him to play better defense so far.

And part of why he creates offense efficiently is because of his poor defensive habits. He gets a lot of rush chances because he's a poacher, probing on blowing the zone early (or not backtracking in the NZ) in the hopes that his teammates can regain possession and hit him with a quick outlet while he's darting behind the opposition.

A lot of how he creates offense basically requires him to not be doing any defending. I've said elsewhere many times that the Canucks need more of a rush element, and this is one way to do it. But it's hard to see this meshing with Tocc.

He must be good centre line forward in the offensive zone generally though because he also generates assists at a pretty top-notch rate, so he’s not just cherry picking goals.

 

[Wry n Ginger]

Checking the current Canuck roster on Puck-pedia, I just don't see how there's going to be any room for the likes of Raty, Bains, Karlsson and Sasson.

I'm pretty sure Karlsson will have to be exposed to waivers, and I'm equally sure Raty is exempt. Not sure of the status of Sasson or Bains.

Allvin and JR said as soon as they got here that they wanted the AHL players to stay in the "A" longer so this isn't a huge surprise. Around the same time, one of the Sedin's was asked the best way to build a winning team and the reply was (paraphrase) "for players to outperform their contracts".

Reason #789 that Benning is in the witness protection program

Benning is the witless projection program.

Who all out of our forwards doesn't require clearing waivers to go to Abby?

This was my first thought as well. I think that puts the roster at 14 forwards that must clear waivers to get sent down?

 

[ziploc]

Trying to attach Podz or Hogs to move Poolmans contract is a very dumb move, something Benning would do.

"something Benning would do" has become the Godwin's Law of HFCanucks.

 

[bossram]

He must be good centre line forward in the offensive zone generally though because he also generates assists at a pretty top-notch rate, so he’s not just cherry picking goals.

Before he signed with the Wings last season, Jack Han did an analysis of all his goals with the Kraken and found that half were because of "poaching" for rush chances, another 5 were on the PP (left flank shooter), and the remaining 5 were from a hodgepodge of chance types. I think this is the kind of a player he is - cheating to get rush chances.

I don't think it's hard to imagine him turning those same types of chances into assists, hitting a trailer on the rush or holding up to let a teammate drive the back post.

Hoglander just had a 24 goal season for 1.1 million, and is far more tenacious around the net with some good bite. For a 23 year old, he can just as easily bite you in the ass for trading him

He could

But that doesn't really dispute that he doesn't have much trade value. Or that he doesn't really have an obvious lineup spot on the team.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

I guess a girl with an itty bitty waist finally walked in.

Oh shit!!

 

[Sexy Necksy Garland]

Dhaliwal is wasted already

Still wasted from yesterday.

wonder if he sounds more like Don Cherry as he gets more hammered

cmon, u guys try and keep everything when there is not any time where ur bac is under .50

u know u are pro when u add a little splash of coffee to ur crown to wake up in the morning, after a mixed drink consisting of crown and mouthwash

rick dhaliwal is always soooooooooo drunk because he never isn't drinking crown

he is so whacky and zany (but mostly drunk) that he hooked up an iv drip to provide a steady stream of, u guessed it, crown as he sleeps

 

[VanJack]

The Canucks have only invested a year in him, but wondering how long it'll be before he's firmly in Tocchet's dog-house......I mean if he couldn't stomach both Kuzmenko and even Hoglander at times, he's going to double up on his ulcers with Sprong.

According to Allvin, Sprong has 'matured; as a hockey player. His biggest payday was last season in Detroit with a $2m contract. So he's taking quite a hair-cut to play in Vancouver.

But six teams in eight years after signing his ELC, is an indicator that his scoring simply wasn't enough of a wash for teams to live with his work on the defensive side of the puck.

But how knows, maybe Tocchet can make at least an average defensive winger out of him?

 

[Three On Zero]

Before he signed with the Wings last season, Jack Han did an analysis of all his goals with the Kraken and found that half were because of "poaching" for rush chances, another 5 were on the PP (left flank shooter), and the remaining 5 were from a hodgepodge of chance types. I think this is the kind of a player he is - cheating to get rush chances.

I don't think it's hard to imagine him turning those same types of chances into assists, hitting a trailer on the rush or holding up to let a teammate drive the back post.


He could

But that doesn't really dispute that he doesn't have much trade value. Or that he doesn't really have an obvious lineup spot on the team.

Far more value than a throw in to dump 2.5 in LTIR

 

[Cupless44]

He would absolutely bite you in the ass. Dude hits and forechecks like an animal and can chip in 20+ goals and is cheap. Why would you trade that?

I dont get it either. 24 even strength goals btw. A player that will mix it up and can still improve. Still only 23 and cheap.

 

[VIPettersson]

The Canucks have only invested a year in him, but wondering how long it'll be before he's firmly in Tocchet's dog-house......I mean if he couldn't stomach both Kuzmenko and even Hoglander at times, he's going to double up on his ulcers with Sprong.

According to Allvin, Sprong has 'matured; as a hockey player. His biggest payday was last season in Detroit with a $2m contract. So he's taking quite a hair-cut to play in Vancouver.

But six teams in eight years after signing his ELC, is an indicator that his scoring simply wasn't enough of a wash for teams to live with his work on the defensive side of the puck.

But how knows, maybe Tocchet can make at least an average defensive winger out of him?

Perhaps him maturing and being last to the trough in FA a few years in a row will have him put in more effort on Defence. He was on a podcast recently (4 months ago) talking about how many GMs didn't want to give him a contract for that very reason last year or so. Plus, Tocchet hopefully can give him a boost. There really isn't much risk at worst they put him on waivers.