Player Discussion Daniel Sprong

Pronman has consistently regarded his shot as elite and his skating as high level as well- and has had good things to say about his puck skills and his offensive vision and creativity. That and his history of production earned him a lot of hype in the past.

The knock on Sprong seems to really be his 200 foot game, his tendency toward high risk plays, and his inconsistency. From what I’ve read, he struggled initially when demoted to the AHL to start the year, but eventually got his head back on straight and made an earnest effort towards personal and professional growth and a more complete game has started to come along.

He’s a work in progress though and it’s anybody’s guess how he’ll jive with Laviolette. I do think his speed will serve him well in an uptempo, aggressive system though if he stays committed to using it holistically. As to whether or not he’ll get an opportunity, who knows? I could see the limited roster moves going in a bunch of potential directions but I think some of it will come down to which opportunities present themselves, so we shall see.

 

The only reason I can see McMichael playing would be if junior hockey is canned, but even then I’m sure he could pay somewhere in Europe instead. From everything GMBM has said over the last few months they see CMM as a prospect with a high ceiling, but someone who isn’t ready for NHL action. They’re not going to throw him in before he’s ready to have success.

Sprong is someone I can absolutely see getting a chance next year, likely in that Connolly/Burakovsky limited third line role. Put Hagelin ostensibly on the fourth line but keep his ice time around where it is now, sit Sprong for defensive zone starts and defensive-minded moments in the game and get Hagelin back out there. That’s how Trotz and perhaps Reirden would likely have handled it, certainly.

 

So you all think its ok to go into the season with something like this?

Ovechkin-Kuzy-Wilson
Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie
Panik-Eller-Sprong
Hagelin-Dowd-Hathaway

This is stale. GMBM will shake it, thats my expectation.

Although it doesnt look too bad the money bound in bottom-6 could be directed to help top-4 D. Sending Hags or Panik somewhere should be considered heavily.

 

Honestly I like it, if theres an injury and he's performed to the coaches liking he can play up.

 

I wouldn't pencil Sprong into a roster spot, especially a Top 9 roster spot, without any serious competition for it. Maybe he pans out, but he's not a guaranteed quantity at the NHL level. If he outperforms his competition to take the spot, awesome. But banking on him is like banking on Andrew Gordon or Riley Barber to fill a full time roster spot.

 

Okay with it? No. But I didn’t agree with the Hagelin and Panik signings at the time, and I think this year will be a costly one to try to get out of those kinds of contracts. Neither provides good value for money, take up a decent chunk of cap space for anyone competing, and most teams are trying to trim fat from their payrolls. How much are we willing to pay to move one of them, and where are we finding the cheap NHL-ready replacements?

Every year GMBM likes to throw a Connolly/Chiasson/Smith-Pelley/Leipsic/Sprong type into the mix – someone with something to prove, who often plays mostly fourth-line minutes and then gets more frequently scratched closer to the TDL/playoffs. Whether or not Sprong makes the lineup, I think the roster spot is his to lose. I think trying Boyd at 3RW for a period might not be the world’s worst shout, either, if we’re offensively challenged in the bottom-6.

This was the first year we didn’t have a reliable goal scorer beyond our top-6 – in the past we’ve always had guys like Burakovsky and Connolly who, even if streaky, helped balance out cold spells from Vrana, Ovi, Wilson etc. We simply weren’t scoring in the playoffs, and I don’t see how we fix that without trying guys like Sprong?

 

I still see a couple hockey trades being made. One, at the least. We have a couple of redundant players and it'll help our cap situation to move one or two of them.

 

I wouldn't be happy with Boyd as Plan A for 3RW, either. Ultimately, most of the guys you had listed had proven more in the NHL than Sprong has.

Depth scoring is best fixed with someone who has shown more ability to stick in the NHL than Sprong or Boyd. Sprong and/or Boyd as the 13th or 14th forwards, who maybe supplant someone else for a regular roster spot if they outplay them, sure. But if those two are the default options for 3RW, this team is going to continue to have depth scoring issues. Even more so if they're still planning on Hagelin playing 3LW.

 

I think you’re vastly overestimating his readiness back then. He was kept late in camp to soak it all up not because he almost made the team (IMO), just like when the big games resumed. They see the talent and want him exposed early, but don’t mistake that for near NHL-readyness.

 

It wasn’t because he was kept late, it was because he was generally one of the Capitals best players for the majority of the preseason. I understood that he wasn’t going to play past the preseason last year, but if the Capitals weren’t a veteran playoff team I think you can make a good case that he would have at least been given his 9 game cup.

 

Vrana Eller Sprong would be a fun 3rs line

 

Kept late = playing pretty well (or he would have been shipped), but it was largely an experience thing for developing a young guy with all star potential.

If we were a crap team rebuilding he MIGHT have gotten a sip last season, but he certainly wasn’t ready for a full NHL season IMO. Next season it’s much more likely with the current uncertainty that he get his taste, but I don’t think that’s by any means a lock.

 

>I am afraid? Dude, Ive died twice and been brought back.

Holy shit this is actually hilarious. "You have concerns over the consequences of this hockey thing."

"NUH UH, I DIED!"

kek

 

I don't disagree that he should have competition but Sprong has already proven more than Gordon and Barber combined in terms of being able to contribute at the NHL level so I don't think those are totally fair comparisons.

 

How is he doing?

 

I can't tell if he's bad or good as a whole, but he's something they don't have. Nobody else in their bottom 6 (unless they're playing Sheary in the bottom 6) is willing to toe drag or make the extra move to make a play. He's the skilled bottom six option, but it's hard to say if he's more effective overall than other players they have to pick from.

 

He should be playing the next 6 games because you know who's been suspended - so we'll get a decent look at him. I prefer him over Panik so I'd like to see Sprong do well and take his spot when you know who is back from suspension.

 

(Gasp!!)

no, who?!?!?!?

 

Sick of hearing and seeing his name, to be honest.....hoping our fans, hockey fans and the league can move on from it. But I'm not holding my breath.

 

Unlikely that Sprong would replace Panik. What they bring is different. Panik's strenths are Sprong's weaknesses. There is a reason Sprong has been sitting and Panik playing

 

Want Sprong to be developed into the next B. Conn.

Dowd can be the next Beagle.

 

Leason and Riat are the only RH RWs of note in the pipeline, right? With Oshie asking that position is looking pretty thin, so would be nice if Sprong could stick.

 

Carlson, Orlov, Schultz, Dillon. I am sorry but I dont see any need for help. Unless one of them is snatched in the ED they are set.

 

Double posting here and in the GDT because it's too good not to.

 

Yeah but. If we need 2.1 whatever of extra cap space, then Panik (and Jensen for TVR) are the ones to go.

Id be v happy to have Sprong and TVR, plus 4m of cap space.