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

[RobertKron]

That is exactly what happened.

Always ambivalent about sending really top (sic) prospects to practice.

 

[David71]

Can’t possibly be worse than Mikheyev lol, Canucks have 3 or 4 good wingers that can play alongside DeBrusk & Petey.

hell put sherwood up with petey to dig pucks for him he can set them up

 

[Brookbank]

I can see why he never sticked with one team for longer than 1 year

He's the type of player who doesn't really connect with his linemates yet can look dangeriously carrying the puck

There should be a way to utilize him. Maybe with matchups or something. Ryan Huska is winning games with Kuzmenko.


It was just 2 games. But a lot of ppl assumed Sprongs speed would get him out of trouble defensively in a way Kuz couldn't

The jury is still out

 

[Brookbank]

Still waiting to see him develop chemistry with EP40. Haven't seen it yet, but I generally don't put much weight into the preseason. I'll check in again at the 10 game mark of the regular season.

Maybe in a very situational role. It looks like the idea of him being there regularly is already done

 

[Diversification]

Meh. Game 3/82. Maybe they need to work with him like they did with Desharnais and then he'll draw back in. I mean they more or less promised that was what they would do with him, which is why he signed with us in the first place.

Way too early to tell how significant this is.

 

[Ernie]

Sometimes you get what you pay for.

Nobody should be surprised a league minimum player couldn't hang in the top six.

 

[VanJack]

So Bains is in for Sprong, and immediately is placed on the top line with Miller and Boeser.

If he were to get on a heater, I'm not sure Sprong ever gets his spot back.

 

[F A N]

Sometimes you get what you pay for.

Nobody should be surprised a league minimum player couldn't hang in the top six.

With Sprong, I don't think it's so much that he's a league minimum player but for reasons he's been utilized as a 4th line player with some healthy scratches despite his offensive production.

 

[Ernie]

With Sprong, I don't think it's so much that he's a league minimum player but for reasons he's been utilized as a 4th line player with some healthy scratches despite his offensive production.

It's just funny that lots of people seemed to have him permanently slotted into the top six.

 

[credulous]

both sprong and heinen are guys who have failed to stick on nhl teams over and over. they were okay bets to maybe contribute a little but pencilling them in as regular top 6 contributors is pure fantasy

 

[thecupismine]

It's just funny that lots of people seemed to have him permanently slotted into the top six.

I thought it was pretty obvious from the preseason that he is who he is at this point. Low IQ, incredibly skilled player who can carry the offensive load for a line but doesn't really know how to utilize his teammates.

Put him with two defensively responsible players on the 4th line and it's fine, but we might have enough depth where we can get the offense without sacrificing defense on that line.

His best role outside of that is being a sniper on the 2nd unit PP, where you give him very specific options in a static formation.

 

[Ernie]

both sprong and heinen are guys who have failed to stick on nhl teams over and over. they were okay bets to maybe contribute a little but pencilling them in as regular top 6 contributors is pure fantasy

Heinen? Really?

 

[credulous]

Heinen? Really?

yeah this is his first multi year contract since his elc i think? he signed 1 year deals with boston, pittsburgh, pittsburgh again and then boston (after a pto). i don't think he's a terrible player but there's a reason he's had to take scraps his entire career

 

[Ernie]

yeah this is his first multi year contract since his elc i think? he signed 1 year deals with boston, pittsburgh, pittsburgh again and then boston (after a pto). i don't think he's a terrible player but there's a reason he's had to take scraps his entire career

He was signed for 2 years @ $2.8m per after his ELC by Boston, then flipped to Anaheim. Since then he's been squeezed by the flat cap but still played 3rd line ice time at a 30pt ES pace.

 

[credulous]

He was signed for 2 years @ $2.8m per after his ELC by Boston, then flipped to Anaheim. Since then he's been squeezed by the flat cap but still played 3rd line ice time at a 30pt ES pace.

i missed the 2 year deal coming off his elc but doesn't change the fact he's had 3 straight seasons where he's been squeezed out. if he was a legit top six guy that wouldn't have happened

 

[VanJack]

Heinen? Really?

Heinen joined the Bruins on a PTO, had a decent training camp last year, and earned a spot. Then went on to score 17 goals.

But despite this, the Bruins made little effort to re-sign him. He's had three separate stints with Bruins; and lasted as couple of seasons in Anaheim and Pittsburgh.

And as has been reported at length, Sprong is on his sixth team in six years. Maybe these guys discover something in Vancouver that they've never achieved before. But more likely at their age, they are what the are.

The real shame is that they're taking up roster spots for younger guys in Abbotsford. Frankly, I'd rather see guys like Bains, Raty, Sasson or even Karlsson and eventually Lekkereimaki up here. They may not be as good now, but the gap isn't that wide.

And neither Sprong or Heinen will be anywhere near a Canuck team that's actually a threat to win a Cup.