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

[RobertKron]

i think Dutch football in general is just pretty bleh and the only bright spots are really the defenders. I look at their euro roster and it's like ugh wtf is this shit.
Argentina is definitely not built upon D, their team in the last like 16 year is to cobble a bunch of guys around Messi lol and prior to Messi and post Maradona, it was building around Aimar and Requilme and have like butchers around them that will hack people down.

back to regular programming..

This is what Toc has to say about Sprong in the latest AThletics article


I don't think this implies that Sprong will become good defensively but I think the point is that he joined us knowing what is required from him and one would assume that he is willing to at least give that a go if he is seeing this opportunity as a platform year.

Tocchet basically expressed commitment to working with him to try to acquire him a solid number of millions of dollars, which for a guy who has put up multi-million dollar offensive numbers and still found himself without a contract toward the end of July has to be an opportunity he can’t afford to turn down.

 

[bossram]

just so we're clear

* sprong is on the roster and either aman or pdg is on the ahl roster -> you win
* aman and pdg are on the roster and sprong isn't -> i win
* all three are on the roster -> no bet
* none of them are on the roster -> no bet

roster here means nhl roster plus ir/ltir

Why are Aman and PDG part of the conditions at all? "All three on roster" or "none on roster" as a push seems a strange way to grade it.

Sprong on/off the roster as of Game 1 (not the "Opening Day" roster) grades as yes/no.

Sprong on IR or LTIR should grade as a push.

 

[credulous]

Why are Aman and PDG part of the conditions at all? "All three on roster" or "none on roster" as a push seems a strange way to grade it.

Sprong on/off the roster as of Game 1 (not the "Opening Day" roster) grades as yes/no.

Sprong on IR or LTIR should grade as a push.

i'm not betting sprong is on/off the roster at even odds. all it takes is 1 injury in training camp or a hoglander/podkolzin trade and he almost certainly is. i want to specifically bet that he won't be on the roster ahead of aman or pdg (altho i think he has a decent chance of getting ahead of aman if they can find a 5th center between now and opening night)

 

[Caspian]

Maybe they can get him to pull a Kyle Wellwood


Wellwood was an offense first floater for the first half of his career. Joined the Canucks age 25 and added a defensive game

 

[bossram]

i'm not betting sprong is on/off the roster at even odds. all it takes is 1 injury in training camp or a hoglander/podkolzin trade and he almost certainly is. i want to specifically bet that he won't be on the roster ahead of aman or pdg (altho i think he has a decent chance of getting ahead of aman if they can find a 5th center between now and opening night)

So you want +odds and to tweak the conditions to maximally ensure your side of the bet wins, (as an injury or trade or both would increase the likelihood of Aman + PDG being on the roster as well).

Don't we all.

 

[credulous]

So you want +odds and to tweak the conditions to maximally ensure your side of the bet wins, (as an injury or trade or both would increase the likelihood of Aman + PDG being on the roster as well).

Don't we all.

if they open camp with the same lineup they have now (or substantially the same) i'll give you straight odds on sprong not making the roster. there's way too much time between now and then for me to take the bet now though

 

[VanJack]

Can Tocchet make Sprong a better defensive forward? It's possible I guess. Sprong is nine-year pro, who's gained a lot of experience, if nothing else.

And as we know, Tocchet and Sprong have had discussions about his role. So at least he would know what the expectations are.

 

[F A N]

Maybe they can get him to pull a Kyle Wellwood


Wellwood was an offense first floater for the first half of his career. Joined the Canucks age 25 and added a defensive game

Wellwood's transformation is a rarity [insert grew balls joke]. But Wellwood did have a high hockey IQ and had a really good stick.

 

[VanJack]

Wellwood's transformation is a rarity [insert grew balls joke]. But Wellwood did have a high hockey IQ and had a really good stick.

And according to Alain Vigneault, he was 'playing like a man possessed'. But Kyle was an anomaly to be sure. Sprong, on the other hand, is a 'volume shooter' something the Canucks desperately need.

 

[biturbo19]

Wellwood's transformation is a rarity [insert grew balls joke]. But Wellwood did have a high hockey IQ and had a really good short stick.

fixed.


In all seriousness though, Wellwood reinventing his game like that, is pretty much what i think we're looking at to get Sprong to a similarly "actually not terrible defensively" point. And when Welly did that, it definitely did cost him a bit on the offensive side of the puck. Better player overall...but when a guy does go transforming the core of their approach to the game that dramatically, there's almost always a compromise inherent to it.


If we get a Welly-style transformation out of Sprong, i'll be really curious to see what exactly that does to his offensive output. Though at the same time...some of that might be offset by "earning" himself a shot in the Top-6, and playing with a guy like Pettersson could certainly help mitigate some of the "lost production" from cheating, by replacing it with being trusted in minutes with a great offensive catalyst (when Petey is "on" himself).

 

[F A N]

fixed.


In all seriousness though, Wellwood reinventing his game like that, is pretty much what i think we're looking at to get Sprong to a similarly "actually not terrible defensively" point. And when Welly did that, it definitely did cost him a bit on the offensive side of the puck. Better player overall...but when a guy does go transforming the core of their approach to the game that dramatically, there's almost always a compromise inherent to it.


If we get a Welly-style transformation out of Sprong, i'll be really curious to see what exactly that does to his offensive output. Though at the same time...some of that might be offset by "earning" himself a shot in the Top-6, and playing with a guy like Pettersson could certainly help mitigate some of the "lost production" from cheating, by replacing it with being trusted in minutes with a great offensive catalyst (when Petey is "on" himself).

I don't think we're looking for that out of Sprong at all. Wellwood essentially went from a pure offensive player (we first tried to turn him into a top 6 sniper here) who needed to be sheltered defensively to a very effective RH 3C who is trusted to take important defensive draws. Under a different usage, that prime Wellwood probably would have been an 18 goal 47-50 point 2C.

I don't think we're trying to turn Sprong into something he is (perceived) as not.

 

[VanJack]

Even if Tocchet can get Sprong to focus in his own zone and improve his defense by even 20-30 percent, then they'll be able to move him up in the lineup if their top-six scoring ever falls off.

But even if they can't get much more out of him on the defensive side of the puck, he's proven he can score even with sheltered minutes on the third and fourth lines. And he'll always be an option on the second unit PP.

And he's motivated. He claims that he's interested in a longer career in Vancouver after bouncing around the league for the past three seasons. Exactly the kind of guy you want to invest in, with a one-year 'show me' contract.

 

[Hodgy]

Wellwood was a way smarter and more skilled player than Sprong. Not really worth comparing them.

 

[PavelBure10]

Wow, with the addition of Sprong, the Canucks have a well rounded lineup up front. Pretty complete from top to bottom. Sprong is looking to prove doubters wrong, and I feel after this season he will do just that.

 

[cc]

I hope the Canucks are providing some input into his off-season training. If he is looking to play more than his previous average, he needs to make sure he comes in shape. He's interesting because he does have a decent frame.

 

[John Belushi]

Add Mika Noronen and ya got triple wasted 2nd round picks. I think.

Over the course of two trade deadlines (05-06/06-07):

Acquired:
Keith Carney
Eric Weinrich
Sean Brown
Mika Noronen
Brent Sopel
Brian Smolinski
4th (#115 '07)

Gave up:

2nd (#38 '06)
2nd (#46 '06)
2nd (#56 '07)
2nd (#61 '07)
3rd (#77 '06)
4th (#107 '06)
4th (#101 '07)
Steve McCarthy

Four 2nds, a 3rd and two 4ths for a combined 113gp 18pts and a sparkling -28.

Two of the awful acquisitions (Weinrich and Carney) were expected to be relied upon as veteran depth entering the post-season and their -18 in the combined 35 games to close out the season caused Vancouver to slide heavily and miss the playoffs.

Not to mention the annoyance of having to watch Weinrich wear that stupid yellow.visor.

For some odd reason I can't fathom this organization has always enjoyed having a pick deficit. Trading 2nds away like candy... they've only drafted in the 2nd round 12 times in the past 21.years!

 

[LandfiII]

Over the course of two trade deadlines (05-06/06-07):

Acquired:
Keith Carney
Eric Weinrich
Sean Brown
Mika Noronen
Brent Sopel
Brian Smolinski
4th (#115 '07)

Gave up:

2nd (#38 '06)
2nd (#46 '06)
2nd (#56 '07)
2nd (#61 '07)
3rd (#77 '06)
4th (#107 '06)
4th (#101 '07)
Steve McCarthy

Four 2nds, a 3rd and two 4ths for a combined 113gp 18pts and a sparkling -28.

Two of the awful acquisitions (Weinrich and Carney) were expected to be relied upon as veteran depth entering the post-season and their -18 in the combined 35 games to close out the season caused Vancouver to slide heavily and miss the playoffs.

Not to mention the annoyance of having to watch Weinrich wear that stupid yellow.visor.

For some odd reason I can't fathom this organization has always enjoyed having a pick deficit. Trading 2nds away like candy... they've only drafted in the 2nd round 12 times in the past 21.years!

Why did we have two seconds two years in a row? That's so not us. That year(two years)is the Genesis apparently of the violent bent towards the deficit.

 

[LandfiII]

Winrar

How're the holidays going bro?

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

How're the holidays going bro?

️ ️️

 

[LandfiII]

️ ️️

I really gotta do golf. I'm 42 and have played twice. f*** me.

 

[John Belushi]

Why did we have two seconds two years in a row? That's so not us. That year(two years)is the Genesis apparently of the violent bent towards the deficit.

Canucks acquired the #38 overall trading Sopel to the Islanders in the summer of '05 but I'm having trouble tracking where the other surplus pick came from... memory's a little hazy to boot.

I'm assuming a compensatory pick from either an unsigned prospect or a member of management signing elsewhere - much like how they recieved the Gadjovich pick from Columbus signing Tortorella.

 

[Hit the post]

Over the course of two trade deadlines (05-06/06-07):

Acquired:
Keith Carney
Eric Weinrich
Sean Brown
Mika Noronen
Brent Sopel
Brian Smolinski
4th (#115 '07)

Gave up:

2nd (#38 '06)
2nd (#46 '06)
2nd (#56 '07)
2nd (#61 '07)
3rd (#77 '06)
4th (#107 '06)
4th (#101 '07)
Steve McCarthy

Four 2nds, a 3rd and two 4ths for a combined 113gp 18pts and a sparkling -28.

Two of the awful acquisitions (Weinrich and Carney) were expected to be relied upon as veteran depth entering the post-season and their -18 in the combined 35 games to close out the season caused Vancouver to slide heavily and miss the playoffs.

Not to mention the annoyance of having to watch Weinrich wear that stupid yellow.visor.

For some odd reason I can't fathom this organization has always enjoyed having a pick deficit. Trading 2nds away like candy... they've only drafted in the 2nd round 12 times in the past 21.years!

Thing is, Carney was actually a credible #4 D. Only issue was, we needed an offensive defenseman (as Jovo was out, at he often was, & we didn't know when he'd return). Couple that with an offense first head coach (Crawford) made his acquisition truly odd (given Carney was a defensive defenseman).

Weinrich was dogshit no question (too slow even for the 'clutch & grab' NHL much less the "new NHL"). Wasn't Weinrich friends with Nonis?

 

[LandfiII]

Canucks acquired the #38 overall trading Sopel to the Islanders in the summer of '05 but I'm having trouble tracking where the other surplus pick came from... memory's a little hazy to boot.

I'm assuming a compensatory pick from either an unsigned prospect or a member of management signing elsewhere - much like how they recieved the Gadjovich pick from Columbus signing Tortorella.

I believe you're right. (Pick 61 and citation at bottom) Sopel being in this too is mindf***ing me. Dick right in my brain, thrusting.

 

[LemonSauceD]

Nick Spaling is a name I thought I’d never see, read, or hear again.

 

[LandfiII]

Nick Spaling is a name I thought I’d never see, read, or hear again.

In and about 80 ovr with some mid to upper 80s attributes that made him pretty useful. Decent cheap quality depth in the EA NHL series for a while there.

/geek stuff concluded