Finally, a player has converted on his PTO, receiving an NHL contract. The Seattle Kraken today signed winger Daniel Sprong to a one-year, two-way contract for 2022-23 worth $750,000. PuckPedia adds that his minors salary is $325,000.
Sprong, 25, will get a second look in the Kraken lineup after playing in 16 games for them last season. Acquired from the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline (along with a 2022 fourth-round pick and 2023 sixth-round pick) for Marcus Johansson, Sprong had six goals and no assists down the stretch for the expansion Kraken. It was the third time Sprong had been traded in his young, yet bumpy career.
Hailing from Amsterdam, the Dutch forward was drafted 46th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. While he hasn’t been able to make it stick with one team, Sprong’s provided solid depth scoring wherever he’s gone. He’s scored 14, 13, and 14 goals in his last three full NHL seasons. He played just eight games with the Anaheim Ducks in 2019-20, instead spending significant time with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
Sprong will need to work hard to crack what’s a considerably deeper Kraken forward core this season, especially on the wing. The additions of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky at the top make the Kraken’s top six more compelling, but it’s scorers like Sprong who will be relied upon to generate depth offense in The Deep this season.
Should be in the Nhl no brainer. Way to go Ronnie…
Why wouldn’t they? He’s probably there ninth best forward on the depth chart.
Uh oh. Was looking good for the kid until this. Did you really have to try and kill his dream?
Give the kid a chance with the top 6. And you watch..
Ron Francis went galaxy-brain and let him go to save a few bucks.
And that seems to have worked.
Now they need to figure out how to unload that Schultz contract
Baffling how Sprong is still convincing teams to sign him. Must be a wizard or something. Yeah, he can score some goals, but that’s all he does. I doubt he even knows how to spell defense (or defence) let alone define it. What a waste of talent.
League minimum on a two way contract for some depth in an expansion organization seems about right then.
Weird first sentence considering he’s the 3rd guy this season to convert his PTO to an NHL deal… but he is the first forward to convert ♂️
Wicked wrister.
Wretched 200 foot game.
That’s middle 6 material in Seattle
I doubt it. I think AHL depth.