What will Daniel Sprong's fate be after 9 games?

[Ugene Magic]

I think he means play him as a left wing (which he's apparently done in juniors).

If he can then fine. RW is filled up without injury, and truly the LW can be seen as the same. I also thinks he'd have to do a bit more to actually force their hands to move out a top six guy unless they still falter.

 

[Jacob]

I'd send him back for a few reasons.

1. He never dominated at the junior level. 39 goals is good but not exceptional. He won't be wasting his time if sent back. Charlottetown is a decent team with a new coach with experience as an NHL assistant. He'll play a ton, improve on his offensive skillset and round out the rest of his game.

2. His spot here is too much of an unknown. We might get a rash of injuries and he sees top 6 ice time. We might be healthy and he's on the 4th line or scratched. He's playing well now but it's normal to experience lulls and confidence issues. Mistakes are magnified and I'd hate to see any 18 year old's confidence bottom out because he made a mistake that costs a game. That's tough to recover from.

I'm always worried about a lost season of development like guys like Niederreiter, Sbisa, Connolly and countless others experienced because their management lacked a little patience.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

If he can then fine. RW is filled up without injury, and truly the LW can be seen as the same. I also thinks he'd have to do a bit more to actually force their hands to move out a top six guy unless they still falter.

The left wing should be wide open for anybody to make an impact. Are you still holding on to this fantasy that Kunitz is still a competent top 6'er? He's been outscored at even strength by Craig Adams, Rob Scuderi, and Kari f***ing Lehtonen over a sample of over a third of a season's worth of games.

Like, I really don't get it. Why the loyalty to Kunitz? He's done and it is obvious to pretty much everybody.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

So you would demote Kessel or Hornqvist?

I don't recall typing that. But I do have two noisy kids, and I am a half a bottle in right now. Maybe you can show me where I said that?

Sprong himself said he's played Left Wing. For me, that's enough to try him at the position.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I don't recall typing that. But I do have two noisy kids, and I am a half a bottle in right now. Maybe you can show me where I said that?

Sprong himself said he's played Left Wing. For me, that's enough to try him at the position.

I didn't recall him being able to.

You can try him there as I said to, NAO, never, ever will I say not to.

But until it is tried, and he clicks with Sid, there is no definitive answer he'll work with Sid.

That's the thing, most talk here is in fact form that any will be better/work with Sid.

More have proven not.


To answer NAO, I do not hold loyalty to Kunitz, I just don't see a proven replacement. I see it as part Crosby and Kessel being who they are but moreso not doing the right things and also adding to the top lines woes. All three have messed up plays, flubbed pucks either rolling off their sticks, shots and over passing.

Individually, Kessel has been the best of the trio.

This takes no blame away from Kunitz, just that he's not the only one faltering.

It's a bunch of forced hockey in my eyes.

I see more of a case to swap both Kessel and Hornqvist then to move Kunitz down.

But it is still early in the season and I'd give them another week, or even two, before making changes.

 

[Pancakes]

I want him to stay. He's improving every game. Who knows what kind of player we'll have if we let him continue to grow with the team?

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Now my question is how exactly "proven" does a guy have to be to replace a guy who is just not scoring? And how is anybody supposed to prove themselves with Crosby when nobody is allowed to play lw with Crosby but Kunitz?

Kunitz has been so bad there that they need to try anybody they can to replace him. I don't care who it is and if they are proven top liners because right now Kunitz is a proven scrub. The point is they need to try something. K-C-K is not working and Kunitz is the clear weak link there. As of now, the Pens solution appears to be "help! We've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas!".

 

[Saints11]

EThis isn't are hard decision. Is he better than Kunitz? If the answer is yes, then keep him here.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

I didn't recall him being able to.

You can try him there as I said to, NAO, never, ever will I say not to.

But until it is tried, and he clicks with Sid, there is no definitive answer he'll work with Sid.

That's the thing, most talk here is in fact form that any will be better/work with Sid.

More have proven not.


To answer NAO, I do not hold loyalty to Kunitz, I just don't see a proven replacement. I see it as part Crosby and Kessel being who they are but moreso not doing the right things and also adding to the top lines woes. All three have messed up plays, flubbed pucks either rolling off their sticks, shots and over passing.

Individually, Kessel has been the best of the trio.

This takes no blame away from Kunitz, just that he's not the only one faltering.

It's a bunch of forced hockey in my eyes.

I see more of a case to swap both Kessel and Hornqvist then to move Kunitz down.

But it is still early in the season and I'd give them another week, or even two, before making changes.

Whole lot of garbage.

 

[Til the End of Time]

its almost frustrating to see sprong bring a missing element to this team. he definitely brings a youthful exuberance and some fire to the bottom six that is sorely lacking. it inevitably makes me think of how much more successful and fun to watch this team would have been had they kept more draft picks and young players around over the past few years rather than relying on old lame vets. the pens could have had a really nice mix of seasoned playoff tested vets like sid/geno and a rotation cast of young difference makers, ie like chicago.

its almost too little too late for the penguins.

 

[Son Goku]

Kids a beast and to think he's only going to get better. The post above me is correct in saying that we may be too little too late. Imagine if we still had Despres.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Send him back, but not because he isn't ready. His development is best served away from this dumpster fire. They'll only ruin his confidence up here.

Agreed.

 

[66-30-33]

Kids a beast and to think he's only going to get better. The post above me is correct in saying that we may be too little too late. Imagine if we still had Despres.

Sprong for Brian Strait?

 

[Sam Spade]

It would be a nice story if he stayed but I just don't see how the numbers work, unless BB and Dupuis are gone long term. Fehr, Dupuis and Bennett needs spots.

 

[gdsmack267]

Its the Penguins. He will be fighting for ice time with Kunitz in 3 years

 

[Whale Mingo]

It would be a nice story if he stayed but I just don't see how the numbers work, unless BB and Dupuis are gone long term. Fehr, Dupuis and Bennett needs spots.

Everyone from time to time claims to be "done" with their team when things aren't going well and management makes inexplicable decisions so take this with a grain of salt. I'm in my 5th decade of watching Penguins hockey and if they force Dupuis back into the top six I'm considering just giving up on this team.

If they force Dupuis back into ANY spot at the expense of younger guys it's another in the long line of tragic mistakes we've come to expect around here.

I'm trying to think of a team with as much talent in the history of the NHL that was so poorly managed and I'm just coming up empty.

 

[Jacob]

I'm trying to think of a team with as much talent in the history of the NHL that was so poorly managed and I'm just coming up empty.

Probably the Penguins of the mid-to-late 90s. Though finances were an issue.

 

[WayneSid9987]

He deserves to stay up but the better move, for me, is to send him down.

-the Pens aren't going anywhere in the foreseeable future so theres no need to risk a serious injury playing against men for a full year. we all seen Lindholm take a run at the kid.

-Charlottetown deserves him for 1 more yr. The guys that have brought him up and developed him deserve him more than the Pens do.

Just how i see it.

 

[Shady Machine]

It would be a nice story if he stayed but I just don't see how the numbers work, unless BB and Dupuis are gone long term. Fehr, Dupuis and Bennett needs spots.

Injuries

 

[WVP]

I'd send him back for a few reasons.

1. He never dominated at the junior level. 39 goals is good but not exceptional. He won't be wasting his time if sent back. Charlottetown is a decent team with a new coach with experience as an NHL assistant. He'll play a ton, improve on his offensive skillset and round out the rest of his game.

2. His spot here is too much of an unknown. We might get a rash of injuries and he sees top 6 ice time. We might be healthy and he's on the 4th line or scratched. He's playing well now but it's normal to experience lulls and confidence issues. Mistakes are magnified and I'd hate to see any 18 year old's confidence bottom out because he made a mistake that costs a game. That's tough to recover from.

I'm always worried about a lost season of development like guys like Niederreiter, Sbisa, Connolly and countless others experienced because their management lacked a little patience.

I lean that way a bit also. We also have still-young guys like Rust, Wilson, Sheary better suited for limited minutes, plus Sundqvist and Simon even.

 

[ColePens]

From the eye test... I don't see what else he has to do in juniors. He seems to be one of those guys that will never just absolutely dominate a league, but I feel he could develop just fine in the NHL. There are a lot of talents where I don't believe that to be the case. Sprong has the size, speed, skill right now. He just needs to develop NHL pace. I don't think he needs juniors to work on that aspect of his game.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

The whole angle of "let him go back and rack up huge numbers in juniors" makes no sense to me. What does that have to do with anything?

His development is what matters, not how many inconsequential points he scores playing against immeasurably weaker competition and much simpler systems.

He'll learn more here, even if he's playing 4th line minutes. Ideally, he'd get 3rd line minutes, but he'd still be better served to stay even if he's on the bottom line. He'll be able to learn from elite players like Sid, Geno and Kessel. He'll play against much stronger competition and learn a Hell of a lot more up here. That, coupled with the fact that he's already better than a few guys on our roster, and it makes a ton of sense to keep him up in the NHL.

There is no benefit to him going back really. He's shown he can play at the NHL level, and he's very capable of being an impact player. To send him back "just because" is dumb.

 

[JWells16]

He's played great, but I honestly feel that he should be sent back. His status here is a little bit of an unknown. He'd be playing on the bottom line if everyone is healthy, and I don't think that helps his development at all. We also burn a year of his ELC if he stays up, and I think we'd be better served in waiting until next year for that.

Another thing that hasn't been brought up yet is that he's played well in his first, what, 5 games? It can be difficult for a young guy to maintain that for 82 games in a season. The wear and tear of a season can be brutal on younger guys not used to playing 82 games.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

From the eye test... I don't see what else he has to do in juniors. He seems to be one of those guys that will never just absolutely dominate a league, but I feel he could develop just fine in the NHL. There are a lot of talents where I don't believe that to be the case. Sprong has the size, speed, skill right now. He just needs to develop NHL pace. I don't think he needs juniors to work on that aspect of his game.

This x1000.

 

[Shady Machine]

He's played great, but I honestly feel that he should be sent back. His status here is a little bit of an unknown. He'd be playing on the bottom line if everyone is healthy, and I don't think that helps his development at all. We also burn a year of his ELC if he stays up, and I think we'd be better served in waiting until next year for that.

Another thing that hasn't been brought up yet is that he's played well in his first, what, 5 games? It can be difficult for a young guy to maintain that for 82 games in a season. The wear and tear of a season can be brutal on younger guys not used to playing 82 games.

He may wear out but you know who is almost guaranteed to wear out? Kunitz, Dupuis, Scuderi (although he doesn't skate hard enough to wear out. Smart cagey veteran).

Look around the league at other contenders. All of them have young legs that bring energy, skill, and passion. This team hasn't had that in a long time. Sprong has earned it, looks and acts mature, and is very confident. I don't think he has much more to learn in juniors and both he and the Penguins can benefit from him staying.