Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign F Daniel Sprong to 1-Year Deal ($975K)
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Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
Burmistrov is an easy candidate for my "I almost forgot that guy was a Canuck" award.
Gave couture a concussion and dipped Lol
Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
biturbo19
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- Jul 13, 2010
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I mean, yes...and honestly, Hoglander really shouldn't even be a serious, regular option with Pettersson. That doesn't work very well at all.
Obviously there are cap constraints at play, and they went out and got a legitimate winger for him in DeBrusk (hopefully it clicks), which was pretty much all they could afford to do there. But...i'm not so convinced that a late summer $975k rummage through the bargain bin on a broken toy sort of player in Sprong is really the "competition" Pettersson deserves for the other spot on his line either.
I'd much more so, be hoping that someone like Heinen clicks there, or maybe Podkolzin has got himself back on the rails or...something. Though that's where i don't mind this Sprong thing. At worst, it's a benchmark that these guys should be able to compete with and clear in camp for that spot, if they're going to be worthwhile there.
These sort of "under the radar" bargain bin signings are always HFs favourites. Even when they're not under the radar at all. They're just assets that most teams don't really want any part of.
Every once in awhile it works out brilliantly - and "brilliantly" is like, "you get 40pts and they don't end up completely stapled to the bench by midseason". But a lot of the fliers amount to nothing. HF tends to get really ultra-optimistic about these types though.Heck, you've basically got half this board penciling our $975k flake into one of the Top-2 Lines right from the jump. And given our roster structure, i do kind of get why. It's just...people are treating him like a $3.75M player or something, rather than sub-$1M fringe guy.
I think there's gotta be a component of that to the kids psyche. Where not every parent with Walter Gretzky Syndrome necessarily encourages all the focus on team play, and a well-rounded, responsible two-way game, taking care of your own end first, etc.
That seemed to be a bit of the buzz around him in PEI back in the day. Not only a bit of a flake defensively, but with a bit of an entitled attitude that saw him "slip" a bunch in the draft.I think you can possibly see a little bit into the genesis of where his defensive shortcomings maybe have spawned from.
VanillaCoke
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- Oct 30, 2013
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This was the basis of my curiosity, I'm surprised but like he takes zads number right away.
Well done
Tocchet is going to turn Sprong into a 25 goal scorer and PK specialist. Don’t stop I’m almost there Rick
Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
Good to hear he and Tocchet had a chat, and that that was apparently the catalytic event that lead to him signing. Have to think all involved are going in eyes wide open.
VanillaCoke
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- Oct 30, 2013
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Still think he too fits perfectly here and gets a multi yr extension.
Defensive deficiencies are being overblown, especially on the mains, and the context playing here with tocchet allvin and Rutherford all very familiar.
Learning he's friends with ep pretty much confirms to me the 975k comes with guaranteed opportunity to play together.
Defensive deficiencies are being overblown, especially on the mains, and the context playing here with tocchet allvin and Rutherford all very familiar.
Learning he's friends with ep pretty much confirms to me the 975k comes with guaranteed opportunity to play together.
I mean, no they're not. He is legitimately one of the worst defensive players in the league. Constantly cheats and blows the zone (it's how he creates so many rush chances) and is allergic to forechecking or backchecking. And this is borne out in the manually tracked microstats.
Doesn't make it not a decent bet. But let's just be realistic about what he is.
VanillaCoke
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Yeah. So he's played under Tocchet and Rutherford when he was a rookie, and was very poor defensively then too.
It's seems fantastical to expect that bringing him to Tocc now will magically make him into an elite defensive player.
I don't think it's overblown. He consistently gets between high 4th line to low 3rd line minutes and is effectively a 4th line player in usage. This is despite his elite-level 5 v 5 production. It's been like this since his Penguins days and it's clearly not because he was buried on the 4th line on a Cup contender.
With that said, he's been a UFA two summers straight now. One would assume that he's smart enough to realize that his perceived defensive deficiencies are greatly impacting his ability to make money. It's costing him millions. So maybe we'll see a version of Sprong that actually puts in an effort on the defensive end but how that would impact his offensive game is another matter.
It works well enough. I think there's some manufactured chemistry there (they are friends). Hoglander isn't a sniper so I think they could keep Hoglander besides Petey if they have someone who can shoot the puck on the other wing. Like there was some chemistry in the short time Hoglander, Petey, and Lindholm were together. There are times when Petey goes threw the motions and I think having a guy like Hoglander helps during those times.
I think it comes down to Petey. When he's playing at his best and dominating we can better evaluate his wingers. When's kind of going through the motions but still putting up points we end up blaming his wingers but it has little to do with chemistry.
Lindgren
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- Jun 30, 2005
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Unquestionably so.
A more reasonable question to ask is whether the combination of the coaching staff and a bit of a "moment" for Sprong can lead to him being a low-average defensive player, rather than terrible, while more-or-less sustaining his offensive production. That would count as an important success, I think.
VanillaCoke
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Yea yea the player he has been is well known, especially on Anaheim and Detroit.
The entire point is the current context.
The player we'll see here is very likely to not be the same with completely different circumstances that should be ideal for him to put it together, as well as his age/ contract/ + more..
Nobody is saying elite but you, but I don't think improvement to hog lvl min is unreasonable, especially when playing with Jake & ep.
Everyone saying he's going to be atrocious and useless when not scoring are not accounting for the context enough, thus its being overblown.
Skinner and arvi are amazing with little mention of D, but 975 sprong is guaranteed to be trash because defense.
I think those takes age pretty badly, same with the Debrusk detractors, here in this system with these coaches and teammates I think we'll see much improvement from many players, and career highs too, fwds and dmans.
lawrence
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- May 19, 2012
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might be a good bet for a 25 goal scorer. gonna be an interesting project for Tochet and hes dealing with a player that has a history of not playing defensive hockey.
Phil Kessel comparison. I get it, but I don't think Daniel Sprong as showed up to any training camps out of shape or anything.
but none the less a candidate as a 20 goal scorer for us.
Phil Kessel comparison. I get it, but I don't think Daniel Sprong as showed up to any training camps out of shape or anything.
but none the less a candidate as a 20 goal scorer for us.
I hope when Sprong and Tocchet had their chat before he decided to sign here, that the expectations on the defensive side of the puck were front and center in the discussions.
Let's face it.....that Youtube video making the rounds, of Sprong in his own zone with Detroit, was a huge red flag. Now granted these clips can be edited and manipulated, to just focus on the times when he lost a puck battle or made a bad read. So maybe, as he claims, his defensive deficiencies are 'overblown'.
But for a guy who's only 27, and consistently pushes the 40 point plateau a season, there has to be a reason why he's now on his sixth NHL team since being drafted in 2015. And it's now three different teams in three seasons.
But if any coaching staff can get the most out of him--it's probably Tocchet and his assistant coaches.
Let's face it.....that Youtube video making the rounds, of Sprong in his own zone with Detroit, was a huge red flag. Now granted these clips can be edited and manipulated, to just focus on the times when he lost a puck battle or made a bad read. So maybe, as he claims, his defensive deficiencies are 'overblown'.
But for a guy who's only 27, and consistently pushes the 40 point plateau a season, there has to be a reason why he's now on his sixth NHL team since being drafted in 2015. And it's now three different teams in three seasons.
But if any coaching staff can get the most out of him--it's probably Tocchet and his assistant coaches.
RobertKron
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- Sep 1, 2007
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Phrasing
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