Confirmed with Link: Sprong sent back

[td_ice]

Like many have said here before, even if we had been lucky enough to have Panarin sign here, he'd have been given token chance at the top 6 and then moved to the 4th line to "earn it" playing 6 minutes a night and getting benched for the 3rd. Not good enough defensively etc.

Besides, #1 LW is spoken for. For some mysterious reason, it's the one position we have that's immune to experimentation.

Veteran entitlement, thy name is Pittsburgh Penguins.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Veteran entitlement, thy name is Pittsburgh Penguins.

What really irks me is that we all of a sudden decide to have Hornqvist tried out on the left.

Why are we converting a career RW to LW now after Bennett and Sprong are no longer options?

The easy answer is that Kunitz can't be moved from the 1st line for more than a couple games, and the coach prioritizes AHL guys he's familiar with over a dynamic 18 year old. And that's dumb.

 

[jmelm]

Sorry if this has already been discussed, because I haven't read this whole thread....


How much talk is there about Sprong being a candidate for Team Canada for the World Juniors?

 

[Gumbercules]

Sorry if this has already been discussed, because I haven't read this whole thread....


How much talk is there about Sprong being a candidate for Team Canada for the World Juniors?

None. Team has been finalized, and I still don't think he's got his citizenship (at least not that i've heard about)

 

[Kiith Nabaal]

A few quotes from Sprong. Sounds like he is working on being more professional.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/princ...wn-hockey-sprong-pittsburgh-1.3383856?cmp=rss

 

[Empoleon8771]

A few quotes from Sprong. Sounds like he is working on being more professional.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/princ...wn-hockey-sprong-pittsburgh-1.3383856?cmp=rss

"Winning a Memorial Cup," Sprong said quickly. "That's all I want. This may be my last year in junior that I'll get a chance to play, and there's no better feeling than trying to win a Memorial Cup."

I feel like he knows that he is most likely going to be on the Pens for all of next year already.

 

[joeyjake5]

I feel like he knows that he is most likely going to be on the Pens for all of next year already.

Yes, he should be. But let's not forget how we have learned to love the stupid clowns that run or ruin the pens. DS will probably have a very good camp deserving to be on the team, but I am sure one of the clowns will determine that he needs to go back to the Q to work on something that the vets on this team screw up over and over. He just doesn't have that valued experience.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yes, he should be. But let's not forget how we have learned to love the stupid clowns that run or ruin the pens. DS will probably have a very good camp deserving to be on the team, but I am sure one of the clowns will determine that he needs to go back to the Q to work on something that the vets on this team screw up over and over. He just doesn't have that valued experience.

If Perron is still around next year, then maybe. However, with them almost definitely not re-signing Perron, he's going to stay up. Their roster going into next year will probably be something like:

Kunitz-Crosby-Bennett
Hornqvist-Malkin-Kessel
Sheary-Bonino-Sprong
Wilson-Fehr-Sundqvist

Sending Sprong down leaves a pretty sizable hole in the top-9. Sprong will be able to get 3rd line minutes with 2nd PP time next year, it wouldn't make sense to send him down. It made sense to send him down this year.