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Message   The Hockey Writers    All   Penguins Need Sprong to Step Up   August 26, 2018
 3:51 PM *  

The Pittsburgh Penguins will enter this season looking to rebound from their
second-round loss to the Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals.

They';ll also be looking for another player to have a breakout season.

In 2015-16, it was defenseman Brian Dumoulin. In 2016-17, it was wingers Conor
Sheary and Jake Guentzel. Last year it was winger Bryan Rust. Now, Daniel
Sprong will look to join the club this upcoming season.

Following the trade of Sheary to Buffalo in June, as well as the departure of
winger Tom Kuhnhackl to the New York Islanders, the Penguins have two forward
spots up for grabs. 21-year-old Sprong will be making his case for one of them
during training camp.

During the Penguins'; season-ending press conference, General Manager Jim
Rutherford noted the following:

#Pens GMJR: Daniel Sprong will be a regular on our team next year.

- Josh Getzoff (@PensJG) May 9, 2018

Drafted 46th overall by the Penguins in 2015, Sprong became the team';s top
prospect less than a week later after Kasperi Kapanen was shipped to the
Toronto Maple Leafs in the Phil Kessel deal.

With a strong preseason, he made the opening night roster as an 18-year-old and
 played 18 games. He recorded the first two goals of his career before being
sent back to his junior team, the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL in
mid-December.

Sprong missed half the year in 2016-17, due to offseason shoulder surgery, but
still managed to record 59 points (32 goals, 27 assists) in 31 games in the Q.

It was thought he could make the full-time jump to the NHL last season, but he
ultimately spent a majority of the year with Wilkes-Barre Scranton, where he
recorded 65 points in 65 AHL games. Sprong did play eight NHL games, and
recorded three points.

So if he couldn';t crack the roster in his first three years, why will he play
such a key role this season?

It';s simple, really. The Penguins need him to.Cost Controlled Talent and Youth

Cost controlled isn';t something which can be used to describe many players on
the Penguins roster as the team sits at just around $1 million under the cap
ceiling at the time of writing.

Because Sprong had just one professional season under his belt when his
entry-level contract expired, he didn';t have much leverage in contract
negotiations. This allowed the Penguins to sign him to a two-year,
$1.5-million contract on June 25. With an AAV of just $750,000, it allows the
team to continue their philosophy of surrounding their higher paid, core
players with younger, inexpensive talent.Sprong was re-signed to a two year,
$1.5-million contract in late June. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Born in 1997, Sprong would be the youngest Penguin forward by three years.
Fellow wingers Zach Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon were both born in 1994.
Additionally, he would be the youngest player on the roster by two years, as
goalie Tristan Jarry was born in 1995.

Sprong succeeding would mean that when the trade deadline rolls around, instead
 of searching for a high-cost talent, Rutherford will have the option to save
his limited assets and instead go for a depth piece in case of injury.

For a team whose top-12 forwards have an average age of 27.7, adding fresh legs
 would be helpful.Sprong';s Early Results Have Been Positive

As the Penguins struggled to score for much of the season, our Julia Stumbaugh
 wrote that the Penguins should be playing Sprong.

A solution to this lack of scoring could be putting talented young wingers in
the spotlight and hoping for another Guentzel, Sheary or Rust to spark the team
 into some much-needed scoring

They should have then, and they should be now.

While his time in the NHL was limited last year, playing just eight games.
Sprong was among the Penguins best forwards possession-wise.

According to Natural Stat Trick, in just over 100 minutes, Sprong had a Corsi
For % of 62.98. Good for best among all Penguins. His High Danger Corsi For %
of 85.19 was also best among Penguins with at least 100 minutes played.

Sprong also had a 5-on-5 P/60 of 1.76, the same as Chicago Blackhawks captain
Jonathan Toews. That number was also better than the ones recorded by T.J.
Oshie (1.51), Tyler Seguin (1.68), and Mika Zibanejad (1.35).Daniel Sprong
played well during his limited time in Pittsburgh last season. (Amy Irvin / The
 Hockey Writers)

This isn';t to say Sprong is better than any of those mentioned, because he
isn';t. It just shows he has the potential to be a productive player if given
the chance.

Sprong has also drawn rave reviews for his lightning quick shot, as well as his
 skating ability. Both are things which franchises want on the wing.

His shot was on display during his time in the NHL, as he fired 22 pucks on net
 (2.75 a game). Sprong had two games of six shots on net, and four games of at
least three.

His 5-on-5 shooting percentage of 8.33 also shows he may have had some bad luck
 as well.

Not to mention Sprong led all AHL rookies with 32 goals. That number was also
good to be tied for second among all AHLers.Budding Chemistry With Crosby

One way for a Penguin to stick in the league is to play well with Sidney Crosby
 when, and if, they';re given the chance.Could Sprong become the new right
winger for Sidney Crosby? (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Recently, it';s been shown with Sheary and Guentzel - in the past with Chris
Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis, who played alongside Crosby for over half a decade.

Sprong was given a brief chance to play with the Penguin captain last season,
and he showed well.

In 58 minutes together at 5-on-5, Crosby and Sprong controlled 65.74 percent of
 shot attempts and they also had 17 high danger chances for, compared to just
two against. Three of those high danger chances resulted in goals for the duo.

In a Jan. 5, 2018 game against the Islanders, the line of Crosby, Sprong and
Dominik Simon was at its best in the 4-0 victory. With Crosby recording four
points, Sprong three, and Simon had two.

Sprong could begin the season on the third line with Derick Brassard and Simon,
 but if he plays well, he should find himself on the top line in short order.

The emergence of Sprong will be a development to watch in Pittsburgh.

The post Penguins Need Sprong to Step Up appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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