Prospect Info: Daniel Sprong Progress

[Sjoelbak]

Oh my god The level of denial here is off the charts.

You can go on and ridicule me, but I'm merely reading the texts you provide coupled with judgement of people who actually know him.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

So this discussion is happening.

 

[Sjoelbak]

So this discussion is happening.

Yeah, I regret joining it Next up: judging player potential based on phrenology

 

[Shady Machine]

Use your brain a little bit here.

Kessel is one of the fastest skaters in the league and skates hard when he's out there pretty much every time out. What he does on the bench after a shift is not really of much concern, but if you want to point it out, he's obviously an eccentric dude. He does all kinds of odds things.

It's good if he's pissed that he missed an opportunity. If he looked indifferent, that would be a problem.

Please describe in detail Sprong's body language that led to your negative opinion of him.

 

[Shady Machine]

Use your brain a little bit here.

Kessel is one of the fastest skaters in the league and skates hard when he's out there pretty much every time out. What he does on the bench after a shift is not really of much concern, but if you want to point it out, he's obviously an eccentric dude. He does all kinds of odds things.

It's good if he's pissed that he missed an opportunity. If he looked indifferent, that would be a problem.

So you have 5 scout opinions and only 2 are negative? When your best evidence is that 5 anonymous scouts quotes (of which I'm sure there are many more that interviewed him) and only 2 of them are critical of his interview (and a 3rd says "a little cocky but you expect that"), your opinion is left hanging by the thread of your interpretation of his on ice body language.

Please forgive us for not grabbing our pitchforks.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

First of all, the kid is just offensive dynamite. His play without the puck certainley needs to improve though, but so is it for most young players.

The only "negative" thing about his personality was from another post. The guy claimed to have been a Charlottetown season ticket holder. He argued that Sprong was slightly selfish and cocky. An example he gave was that he would occasionally slam his stick to the ice or the boards if he didn't recieve a pass. He also thought that Sprong believed that he was better than everybody else on the team. Would hardly be the case here. Seeing as it was just a post it should be taken with a grain of salt though.

Excited for him none of the less. Steal of the 2015 draft, calling it right now.

 

[DanielPlainview]

So you have 5 scout opinions and only 2 are negative? When your best evidence is that 5 anonymous scouts quotes (of which I'm sure there are many more that interviewed him) and only 2 of them are critical of his interview (and a 3rd says "a little cocky but you expect that"), your opinion is left hanging by the thread of your interpretation of his on ice body language.

Please forgive us for not grabbing our pitchforks.

Right. A guy projected to be a mid-to-late first rounder mysteriously drops to the middle of the second because only 2 scouts found something they didn't like.

Like I said, the writing is on the wall for Sprong's attitude issues. Whether he matures remains to be seen.

 

[JTG]

I dont get a Kessel vibe from him at all. More Peter Bondra as a hockey player.

Also seems good with team mates and the media. Not sure what all the hub bub is about.

I like the Bondra comparison a lot. Much more accurate that Kessel.

 

[Brandinho]

Yeah, I regret joining it Next up: judging player potential based on phrenology

Now that you mention it, after a thorough examination of Mr. Sprong's cranium, he does seem to lack in the sublimity, suavity, amativeness, mirthfulness and conjugal love modules. Ergo, I'm forced to agree with pensman89's evaluation.

 

[Sjoelbak]

Right. A guy projected to be a mid-to-late first rounder mysteriously drops to the middle of the second because only 2 scouts found something they didn't like.

Like I said, the writing is on the wall for Sprong's attitude issues. Whether he matures remains to be seen.

Olli Maatta dropped half a round in 2012. He must have a personality problem as well. You still could only provide all of 2 scouts saying something bad about his interview, followed by a lot of BS where you picked some more or less negative sentences out of really positive scouting reports.

You're just making a fool of yourself.

 

[Sjoelbak]

Now that you mention it, after a thorough examination of Mr. Sprong's cranium, he does seem to lack in the sublimity, suavity, amativeness, mirthfulness and conjugal love modules. Ergo, I'm forced to agree with pensman89's evaluation.

Why he hasn't been lobotomized yet is beyond me...

 

[DanielPlainview]

Olli Maatta dropped half a round in 2012. He must have a personality problem as well. You still could only provide all of 2 scouts saying something bad about his interview, followed by a lot of BS where you picked some more or less negative sentences out of really positive scouting reports.

You're just making a fool of yourself.

Oh good god

Look, Sprong clearly has a selfish attitude. If he did not, it would not have been evident in his interviews nor would it be obvious in his playing style, his actions on-ice, and his body language. Teams saw these things, plus his lack of two-way skills and desire to develop them, and passed. Maatta dropped for different reasons. Acting as if they are the same simply because they both dropped is a false equivalence, a logical fallacy. Now, you're absolutely making a fool of yourself.

 

[Brandinho]

Oh good god

Look, Sprong clearly has a selfish attitude. If he did not, it would not have been evident in his interviews nor would it be obvious in his playing style, his actions on-ice, and his body language. Teams saw these things, plus his lack of two-way skills and desire to develop them, and passed. Maatta dropped for different reasons. Acting as if they are the same simply because they both dropped is a false equivalence, a logical fallacy. Now, you're absolutely making a fool of yourself.

Sorry, but I'm not going to put much stock in 18 year olds interviewing poorly. The same was said of Brandon Saad, that he interviewed poorly and that Shero passed on him, in part, because of that. Joe Morrow evidently interviewed well, but I don't think anybody here would choose Morrow over Saad in retrospect.

I don't care if Sprong showed up to interviews naked and responded to every question with "***** I might be". You don't pass on that sort of talent @ 46th overall, just like the Hawks didn't pass on Saad @ 43rd overall. They obviously don't regret their pick and I doubt we will either.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Are you a scout that screwed up with Sprong?

 

[Darth Vitale]

This thread is starting to go off the rails a bit. Not one person in this forum really knows the extent of his interview and what the majority of scouts thought about it, therefore it's all conjecture / guesswork. So unless you have more information to add from a legit source, let's stick to what we do know: what kind of hockey player he is so far / what we've seen out of him since being in our organization.

 

[lettuceAA]

Personality problems are the new size/physical problems now that its not as big of an issue in today's NHL.

 

[Penguinator]

Wtf is going here? Sprong ain't no Filatov ffs!

 

[Sjoelbak]

Oh good god

Yeah, keep laughing at me, while the rest of us laugh at you. There is no point in continuing this discussion, because you cannot support anything you claim. So, nice talking to you, now let's get on with Sprong's progress.

He succeeded in making the team out of camp last year, but barring any trades that might be harder this year. He needs to outperform this year's rookies. However, another year in the Q might be a waste, as he won't learn much there.

 

[Shady Machine]

Right. A guy projected to be a mid-to-late first rounder mysteriously drops to the middle of the second because only 2 scouts found something they didn't like.

Like I said, the writing is on the wall for Sprong's attitude issues. Whether he matures remains to be seen.

Remember when Saad dropped? Players drop all the time for a variety of reasons

 

[Brandinho]

Another thing, people tend to vastly overestimate the value of non first round picks. Even if we believe that Sprong has significant personality issues, the middle of the second is the perfect place to take a chance on a player like that. 45th overall is dangerously close to "this kid is overwhelmingly unlikely to ever play in the NHL" territory. Boom/bust picks are fine in that range.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Sprong is in a good spot imo.
The Pens are the type of team where a guy like him has to check his attitude(or any perceived one he has) at the door.
Any other place and he may have problems but not here.

Kid is eager to learn the pro game and is very driven.
Hope we see great things in his future.

 

[Corvidae]

OK, here's an example, since you are afraid of Google.



No, were you? What kind of non-argument is that?

The way a lot of you are so defensive about this makes it readily apparent that 1. you have nothing really to stand on here and 2. somewhere within you know there is big problem potential with Sprong unless he gets his attitude away from only himself.

His on-ice attitude is clear. His scouting reports were filled with "low physicality", "poor two-way ability", and "shows little desire to be a two-way player", while also lauding his offensive talent. This is a selfish playing style. "But he's a scorer!!" Sure, and Terrell Owens scored a lot of TDs. Players like that are often the ones that cause problems when things aren't going their way.

To be fair, we all know what a bum Shattenkrik ended up being. Barely a top defenseman.

Edit: Nevermind, that doesn't say Shattenkirk. What a terrible font.

 

[DegenX]

*Mod Warning: Keep the discussion polite and on topic*

 

[hooverdam]

Jonathan Drouin has "attitude issues" that have had a very tangible and public effect on his career so far. He literally took his puck and went home.

He also scared the **** out of me in that Tampa series and was one of the only reasons they were in that series. He was that good.

So even if Sprong has "attitude issues" (he doesn't, combine interviews are ridiculously fickle and old school and no one should hold the opinions of scouts who pass on good players for the stupidest reasons in such high regard), bring it. If he can be half as talented as a punk like Drouin, I frankly don't care if he lights his stick on fire and makes it rain hundred dollar bills on Errey during games.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Is he serious? Or trolling?