Evening Notes: O’Reilly, Robertson, Anderson
After losing Alex Pietrangelo to free agency a couple of offseasons ago, having David Perron and Ville Husso leave the same way this offseason, and observing this summer’s Calgary Flames from afar, the St. Louis Blues made it a priority this offseason to sign young stars Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou long-term. The organization accomplished that feat on Tuesday by signing Kyrou to an eight-year, $65MM contract which will kick in during the 2023-24 season – two months to the day after Thomas signed an identical deal. Although St. Louis has several key UFAs at season’s end, including Ryan O’Reilly an Vladimir Tarasenko, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on today’s 32 Thoughts podcast that the Blues’ priority was to get their two pending RFAs signed long-term.
Despite their clear focus, Friedman believes St. Louis will take a run at re-signing O’Reilly too, seeing term as the likely sticking point for both sides, O’Reilly turning 32 in February. A comparable contract could be Nazem Kadri, as Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek suggests, given his age and style of play, but as Friedman says, “I don’t know if I can see St. Louis doing that” (Kadri signed for seven years and $49MM). Of course, with their two biggest building blocks signed long-term through their prime years, the Blues have put themselves in a good position, however it’s still worth noting the departure of two key pieces from this year’s team (Perron and Husso) and further departures of O’Reilly or Tarasenko, or both, could put a further dent in the team’s plans for it’s current build.
- Earlier this week, we discussed Jason Robertson‘s contract negotiations, which were said to be speeding up with an open dialogue. Friedman also discussed the potential contract on today’s podcast, opining that a possible eight-year, $64MM contract might not be enough to sign the young forward long-term anymore. Friedman cites to the recent extensions of Kyrou and Tim Stutzle, both for eight-years at $65MM and $66.8MM, respectively, as examples of why Robertson could reasonably reject a long-term offer at an AAV of $8MM. Complicating the matter even more is that, right now, Dallas wouldn’t be able to afford an $8MM cap hit on Robertson anyways, having just over $6.3MM in available salary cap space. In that case, the more likely scenario would be a bridge deal for both sides that would carry Robertson to, or at least closer to, UFA status. If Dallas is intent on signing their RFA long-term, one option to clear cap space, which was suggested a few weeks ago by Dallas Stars Senior Staff Writer Mike Heike, would be to trade goaltender Anton Khudobin, who carries a $3.33MM cap hit.
- A final note from Friedman today, the Los Angeles Kings may have been interested in trying to sign defenseman Mikey Anderson to a long-term contract extension. As he elaborates, Friedman believes the team had talked to him about what it would take to get a long-term deal done, but just didn’t have the ability to fit it in. The Kings and Anderson will be able to sign another extension beginning on January 1st of next year, and though Friedman didn’t say a long-term signing is going to be announced then and there, he does believe Los Angeles was able to get a sense of what that deal might have to look like and can better handle it in the future. Rumors that the Kings could try to sign Anderson long-term are interesting considering the defenseman signed just a one-year, $1MM contract a few days ago, causing some to wonder that if that was the price on a one-year pact, it couldn’t have been all that much more for four or more years. Though that might be the case, the recent signings of Anderson an fellow defenseman Sean Durzi leave the team with just under $500K in cap room, which would be a tight squeeze if Anderson’s number came in just under $1.5MM per season, but on a long-term deal for a promising young defenseman, that number may well have been higher.
New Jersey Devils Sign Zach Senyshyn To PTO
The 2015 NHL Draft is one Boston Bruins fans would very much like to forget. Now, one of their three infamous first-round picks is joining his potential third NHL organization in a matter of months. Forward Zach Senyshyn today signed a PTO with the New Jersey Devils, the team announced.
Boston’s 15th overall pick in 2015, Senyshyn was a member of the Bruins organization up until the trade deadline this past season. He’s played just 16 NHL games, all spread out over the past four seasons, and has only one NHL goal and two assists. He hasn’t been consistently producing in the AHL, either, averaging under 0.50 points per game throughout his 250-plus game career in the minors, mostly with the Providence Bruins. Although he had finally broken out offensively in the minors over the past two seasons, he had just three points in 16 AHL games with the Belleville Senators after he was traded to the Ottawa organization in exchange for Josh Brown.
Needless to say, Senyshyn is attending Devils camp just for a shot at a contract within the organization, less so the NHL roster. Now 25, Senyshyn will need to have a strong enough camp to prove he can be a dependable top-nine contributor for their AHL affiliate in Utica.
Senyshyn joins veteran defenseman Thomas Hickey as players attending Devils camp on PTOs.
Three Players Sign PTOs
As reported by CapFriendly on Tuesday afternoon, three players have signed PTOs today: goaltender Christopher Gibson with the Arizona Coyotes, center Nate Thompson with the Los Angeles Kings, and winger Daniel Sprong with the Seattle Kraken.
Given the tumultuous goaltending situation in Arizona, the 29-year-old Gibson could vie for a spot as a full-time backup for the first time in his long professional career. Originally a second-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2011, he’s played professionally for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers organizations. He had a 7-5-3 record, .907 save percentage, and one shutout in just 14 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers last season. While those totals may be low, he was a part of an uncomfortably crowded crease last season in Charlotte as they played home to both Panthers and Seattle Kraken prospects. He has a long history of strong minor-league play that may give him the inside track over the team’s other two backup options, Ivan Prosvetov and Jon Gillies.
Thompson, far and away one of the most seasoned players to sign a PTO this offseason, brings 844 games of NHL experience to Kings camp. While he did have just three points in 33 games with the Philadelphia Flyers last season and is a 13th forward at best at this point in his career, the 37-year-old Thompson could be a veteran anchor to help guide a youthful Kings’ bottom six, even if it is mainly from the press box. It could also be an inside track on a front office job for Thompson if he doesn’t make the team and opts for retirement instead.
The Kraken know what they’re getting in Sprong, who had six goals in 16 games for them last season after arriving at the Trade Deadline from the Washington Capitals. Seattle’s roster is more crowded this time around with multiple free agent and trade additions, especially on the wing, but he could bump some players like John Hayden and Karson Kuhlman onto the waiver wire and down to the AHL expansion Coachella Valley Firebirds if he makes the team and pushes for a spot at the bottom of the lineup with some power-play minutes.
2022 PTO Tracker
With training camps set to begin in just over a week, teams continue to invite players to their season-beginning festivities on professional tryout deals. Players who fail to secure a contract in free agency will try and make their case throughout camp and preseason to receive an NHL contract to stay in the organization or play well enough to draw the attention of another team. Teams also look to PTOs to fish for good options for NHL roster depth, players who can serve as healthy scratches but step into the lineup if needed.
This list does not include players attending rookie camp on PTOs, but rather separately announced PTOs for the purpose of attending training camp with the shot of earning an NHL contract.
Anaheim Ducks
D Nathan Beaulieu
D Nikolas Brouillard
C Brent Gates
D Josh Healey
LW Dmitri Osipov
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Carolina Hurricanes
D Calvin de Haan
C Derek Stepan
Columbus Blue Jackets
C Liam Hawel
RW James Neal
Calgary Flames
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
New York Rangers
LW Jimmy Vesey
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Toronto Maple Leafs
LW Zach Aston-Reese
G Dylan Ferguson
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Poll: Which Veteran Goalie Will Sign The Biggest Contract Next Offseason?
The goalie market this offseason was a busy one, with many teams looking to address their needs, but seeming to find less options than there were spots to fill. Some teams who had the need for several years were able to finally address it, like the Edmonton Oilers signing of All Star Jack Campbell and the New Jersey Devils acquisition of Vitek Vanecek. Some who found out rather abruptly that they would be needing help in net, like the Toronto Maple Leafs, who lost Campbell, addressed it by signing Ilya Samsonov and acquiring Matt Murray. Others, who didn’t seem to be in urgent need of goalie help went out and found it anyways, like the Ottawa Senators with Cam Talbot and the Washington Capitals with Darcy Kuemper.
With all the shuffling, it seems many teams are now set in goal, or at least hope that they are. But, just as the demand maybe subsides, the supply on next year’s market will be rather rich. There appears to only be one star that will be available, that being Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry, but after that, a bevy of veteran backstops, capable of being a quality starting goalies, will be on the market. Joining them are a large group of capable backups like Jonathan Bernier, Laurent Brossoit, Jaroslav Halak, and Antti Raanta, as well as a pair of intriguing, less experienced options like Adin Hill and Alex Nedeljkovic.
But, it’s this group of veterans who could pose an interesting shuffle, obtaining potentially very similar contracts based on their performance this season. Of course, the 2022-23 campaign will have a major impact on their value heading into the offseason, but for now, a compare and contrast of these five similar options could be an interesting exercise.
Contract: Two years, $5.75MM ($2.875MM AAV)
2021-22 Stats: 35 GP, 9-20-4, 2 SHO, .905 SV%, 3.30 GAA
Career Stats: 353 GP, 168-126-35, 23 SHO, .911 SV%, 2.60 GAA
Once considered one of the most exciting goalie prospects of his generations, Allen never panned out as a superstar in net, however he has become a reliable starting and backup goalie, depending on the role he’s put in. Allen spent his first seven NHL seasons with the St. Louis Blues, earning the majority of playing time between 2015-2018, but a surprising breakout performance from Jordan Binnington in 2018-19 pushed Allen into a backup role. After the 2019-20 season, with one year at $4.35MM left on his contract, the Blues shipped Allen to the Montreal Canadiens for a pair of seventh round picks.
His numbers since heading north of the border haven’t been what they once were, but the real regression came when the team around him regressed in 2021-22. Allen’s next deal may very well resemble the one he signed in the 2021 offseason, but a strong rebound performance, considering the context of how the Canadiens perform around him, could increase not only increase his AAV, but also the term for the 32-year-old.
Contract: Two years, $9MM ($4.5MM AAV)
2021-22 Stats: 52 GP, 35-14-3, 4 SHO, .922 SV%, 2.17 GAA
Career Stats: 445 GP, 261-114-51, 23 SHO, .916 SV%, 2.59 GAA
A four-time All Star and two-time Jennings Trophy winner, receiving one of each in 2021-22, the answer might seem obvious that Andersen would sign the biggest free agent deal of any goaltender in 2023, even better than Jarry. But, the former Maple Leafs star netminder doesn’t come without his concerns and that could hamper his open-market potential. After breaking out with the Anaheim Ducks from 2013-2016, Andersen was dealt to Toronto where he continued to develop into one of the league’s best, posting three straight seasons of at least 60 starts and no less than a .917 SV%.
The success, however, began to taper off and in 2019-20, Andersen regressing slightly to a .909 SV% and 2.85 GAA. The 2020-21 season would be no better, his numbers dropping to a .895 SV% and 2.96 GAA as the veteran dealt with injuries. Ultimately, Campbell took over the net for Toronto and that offseason, Andersen was left to hit free agency, signing his current deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. The goalie found tremendous rebound success in Carolina and was even receiving Vezina Trophy consideration before injuries ended his season on April 16th, just weeks before the playoffs were set to begin. If Andersen can continue his strong performance and show that injuries are a thing of the past, he may be the runaway favorite in this poll, but it’s been several years since the soon-to-be 33-year-old has compiled a fully-healthy season.
Contract: Ten years, $58MM ($5.8MM AAV)
2021-22 Stats: 46 GP, 23-13-9, 2 SHO, .910 SV%, 2.59 GAA
Career Stats: 712 GP, 359-262-78, 56 SHO, .913 SV%, 2.42 GAA
An unlikely name on this list for several reasons, Quick re-emerged as an important piece in net for the Los Angeles Kings as the team itself awoke from a semi-lengthy rebuild in 2021-22. Quick still wasn’t the star he had been from 2009-2017, but after several seasons of poor play and injuries, it was a return to being the steady presence in net that the Kings had historically expected from the 36-year-old. Los Angeles had been hoping to transition the net from Quick to Calvin Petersen, especially after giving the younger netminder a three-year, $15MM contract set to begin this season, but Petersen’s struggles have given Quick new opportunity and thus new life.
Turning 37 in January, with recent history considered, even another strong showing is unlikely to propel Quick to a big payday, but if he can show that he’ll be among those goaltenders who age gracefully, his long resume as a reliable, two-time Cup winning goaltender will reward him in free agency.
Contract: Three years, $11MM ($3.667MM AAV)
2021-22 Stats: 49 GP, 32-12-4, 3 SHO, .911 SV%, 2.76 GAA
Career Staats: 396 GP, 201-142-34, 27 SHO, .915 SV%, 2.63 GAA
After several up-and-down seasons in a few cities after his trade from the New York Rangers, Cam Talbot appeared to finally settle in and take the next step with the Minnesota Wild in 2020-21, sharing the net with Kaapo Kahkonen. But, 2021-22 threw a wrinkle into the equation by no fault of Talbot, as the team dealt Kahkonen to the San Jose Sharks and brought in future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury. The Wild in turn gave the majority of the playing time to Fleury, leaving Talbot to back up. Talbot had hoped to remain in Minnesota and show he could take the net back, but after Minnesota chose to re-sign Fleury, Talbot was shipped to the Ottawa Senators, where he figures to see the bulk of playing time.
Turning 36 next July, Talbot may not see the term some of the other goalies on this list might be able to find, but much like Quick, proof he can age well in the role may ultimately work in his favor. The key for Talbot will be to show, besides his ability to age well, that his up and down career is no more, and that the solid performance in the State of Hockey was not merely an extended “up,” but is instead the new normal for the University of Alabama-Huntsville product.
Contract: Four years, $20MM ($5MM AAV)
2021-22 Stats: 31 GP, 10-17-2, 2 SHO, .911 SV%, 2.91 GAA
Career Stats: 560 GP, 261-211-62, 36 SHO, .916 SV%, 2.64 GAA
When the New York Islanders allowed Robin Lehner to walk after a breakout season where he was named a Vezina Trophy finalist in order to sign Varlamov, many around the hockey world raised their eyebrows. As good as Lehner has been, the decision to bring in Varlamov has paid dividends on Long Island, as the veteran teamed up with Thomas Greiss and later his fellow countryman Ilya Sorokin to create a formidable tandem in net. However over the life of the deal, Varlamov’s role has diminished, going from a starter to something closer to a backup. Part of that has been out of Varlamov’s control with the emergence of Sorokin as one of the league’s better goalies, but 2021-22 did Varlamov no favors either.
Though his numbers were not objectively bad, it was a step back from the player he had been the two years prior. A rebound from Varlamov, especially one that forces the Islanders’ hand to take time from Sorokin and give it to the veteran will certainly boost his value on the open market. Turning 35 in the spring and still capable of taking a significant slate of games in net for a team, Varlamov will have plenty of interest on the open market, but securing the largest deal out of these five will require a performance more similar to what we saw in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
Considering these options, who is most likely to find the biggest contract on the open market? All are legitimate NHL goaltenders likely capable of holding their own net in 2023-24 and beyond, though none are considered stars. Andersen may be the closest to a star, however his recent injury struggles could make teams wary. If it’s durability a team is looking for, Varlamov might be a safer bet, but recent performance is trending in the opposite direction, albeit not enough to scare an organization off. Either way, 2022-23 will go a long way to understanding what this market becomes, but entering the new season, who sits in the best position?
Which Veteran Goalie Gets The Biggest Deal?
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Frederik Andersen 54% (469)
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Semyon Varlamov 21% (181)
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Jake Allen 9% (77)
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Jonathan Quick 8% (72)
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Cam Talbot 8% (68)
Total votes: 867
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Latest On Danny DeKeyser
When there are relatively young offensive players like Evan Rodrigues and Sonny Milano struggling to land contracts in unrestricted free agency, the landscape for some more veteran names may be even worse. Not so for Danny DeKeyser, apparently, whose agent Matt Federico told ESPN that they are confident the defenseman will be signed before training camp.
DeKeyser, 32, may have to take a “lower money deal” but Federico points to the success that Jack Johnson had with the Colorado Avalanche this year as an example of what the long-time Detroit Red Wing could offer.
Over a ten-year career, DeKeyser has 547 games played, all of them with the Red Wings. In the most recent season, he recorded 11 points in 59 appearances, while averaging over 18 minutes a night. Pummeled with defensive-zone starts and penalty-killing duties his overall possession stats don’t look strong, but as a veteran depth option there are certainly worse directions a team could go.
Johnson, for example, signed a one-year, $750K deal with the Avalanche last fall, and logged just under 17 minutes a night for the Stanley Cup champions in the regular season. That performance took him to another one-year deal this year (at $950K this time) giving him the chance to continue his career even at age 35.
Now as the calendar turns to September and teams prepare for training camp, there may be some added pressure on any negotiations that are currently happening.
Snapshots: Wild, Kraken Captaincy, Halbgewachs
While Minnesota freed up $2.25MM in cap space today with the trade of defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to Anaheim, don’t expect that money to be spent right away. GM Bill Guerin told Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link) that while he wouldn’t rule out using it on a free agent, it’s unlikely that he’ll opt to do so. Guerin felt that the Wild needed more cap space and while they’re shown as having a little over $5.7MM in room right now per CapFriendly, that figure has them with a minimum-sized roster which is likely to change. But even with adding a couple of players to that current projection, Minnesota will be well-positioned from a cap perspective to make additions to their roster in-season and will have some room to work with if injuries arise. It may not seem like much but that’s a cap situation that many teams would like to have right about now.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Last season, the Kraken had Mark Giordano as their inaugural captain but that post has been vacant since the veteran was moved to Toronto at the trade deadline. GM Ron Francis told Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times that he’ll sit down with head coach Dave Hakstol to decide if they even want to name a captain this season and that if they do, they’ll likely wait to see how training camp goes before making a decision. Veterans Yanni Gourde, Jordan Eberle, and Adam Larsson would be candidates for the captaincy if they do decide to name one for 2022-23.
- Free agent winger Jayden Halbgewachs has drawn interest from MoDo in Sweden, sports director Henrik Gradin acknowledged to Ornskoldsviks Allehanda. The 25-year-old is coming off a productive year with AHL San Jose where he had 41 points in 59 games while also getting into three games with the Sharks, picking up his first career point. While he’s the type of player that would typically generate a fair bit of interest on a two-way deal, heading overseas to play in a top league there might ultimately help his value in the long run if he was to get back to being a top scorer as he was back in junior.
Keith Yandle Unsure About Playing This Season
When last season ended, Keith Yandle’s ironman streak had come to an end and after being a healthy scratch down the stretch, it seemed like the 35-year-old was going to be calling it a career. However, his agent Jerry Buckley told ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski that the veteran hasn’t decided whether or not he wants to play this season and that teams are in discussions with him about the defenseman.
Yandle is coming off a tough 2021-22 campaign. After Florida bought him out last July, he signed with Philadelphia where the expectation was that he’d help boost their production from the back end. Unfortunately for them, that didn’t happen. Instead, he managed just a single goal in 77 games along with 18 assists, his worst output since his rookie year back in 2007-08. While plus/minus doesn’t carry the value it once did, it’s worth noting that he was -47 which was the lowest in the NHL.
At first glance, Yandle would be a prime candidate for a PTO deal as many veterans will be settling for over the next couple of weeks to ensure they’ll be at a training camp. However, Buckley indicated that it’s unlikely that the blueliner would be willing to go that route and that not having a contract to start the season wouldn’t automatically mean that his career would be over. Instead, he would be looking for the right fit.
With over 1,100 career regular season games and 619 points under his belt, Yandle has had quite a successful career, especially considering he was a fourth-round pick back in 2005. We’ll see over the coming weeks if he’s able to find the right fit to play a 17th NHL season.
Latest On Evan Rodrigues
The free agent market is still filled with legitimate NHL talent, even as the calendar turns to September and players start arriving to begin group workouts. Training camp is starting soon, and some talent is still waiting to find out where they will be skating this season.
One of those players is Evan Rodrigues, who broke out by playing with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, scoring 19 goals and 43 points in 82 games. Those numbers would usually be more than enough for a player to land a healthy contract in the first few days of free agency but Rodrigues remains unsigned as August comes to a close.
While his name has been connected to several clubs over the last few weeks, including the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks, there are a number of teams in the mix. According to his agent Darren Ferris, who spoke with ESPN, “a good seven or eight” teams are having discussions with Rodrigues’ camp. Ferris went on to explain that while there appear to be a few good fits for his client, teams are dealing with difficult cap restraints and trying to move money out.
Greg Wyshynski of ESPN suggests a reunion with the Penguins could be one of those fits, but after re-signing the likes of Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, and Kasperi Kapanen (not to mention acquiring Jeff Petry) there isn’t much money left in Pittsburgh.
Rodrigues, 29, had never scored more than nine goals in a season previously, but still did show flashes of offensive upside in his early career with the Buffalo Sabres. The undrafted forward became a star at Boston University and is at least good enough to secure a deal somewhere in the NHL.
How expensive and for how long that deal will be remains to be seen but with dwindling cap space around the league, the forward may be better off taking a one-year deal in a good situation and trying again next summer.
Free Agent Profile: Daniel Sprong
Daniel Sprong‘s development as a professional hockey player has been a rather interesting case to follow and at age 25, the final returns on the winger may not be finalized just yet. Born in the Netherlands, Sprong began his amateur hockey career rising through the ranks in Quebec, culminating with three years as a member of the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders. As an Islander, Sprong was an offensive force, putting up 30 goals and 38 assists in 67 games as a rookie, following it up with another 39 goals and 49 assists in 68 games the year after.
That summer, Sprong was selected 46th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. As is commonplace in today’s NHL, the overwhelming majority of players selected outside of the first round, and most of those too, don’t make the jump to the NHL right away, instead continuing their development for another year or two, or more. However, Sprong was able to make the jump to the NHL immediately, debuting in Pittsburgh to start the 2015-16 season. An 18-year-old Sprong would play in only 18 games, scoring a pair of goals before being sent back to Charlottetown, recording 46 points in 33 games there. After the end of his QMJHL season, Sprong returned to the pro ranks, this time with Scranton-Wilkes Barre, Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate, where he had five goals and a pair of assists in 10 playoff games. Although he was able to hold his own professionally as an 18-year-old, the Penguins opted to keep Sprong in Charlottetown in 2016-17 for one more season of development, the winger having another sensational season: 59 points in just 31 games.
The next year, Sprong had his first full professional season, spending the majority in the AHL, impressing with 32 goals and 33 assists in 65 games. A dominant AHL season on his resume, Sprong appeared poised to take the next step at the NHL level, but stumbled out of the gate with just four assists in 16 games to start 2018-19 with Pittsburgh, who dealt him to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Marcus Pettersson. It looked as though Sprong found his groove in Anaheim, adding 19 points in 47 games, 14 of which were goals. But, the following season, Anaheim would keep him in the AHL, where the forward couldn’t repeat his previous production, stepping back to 27 points in 39 AHL games.
Anaheim ultimately moved him to the Washington Capitals in February of 2020, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic would pump the brakes on any opportunity with the Capitals until the 2020-21 season. Then, Washington made Sprong a regular part of their lineup, as he contributed 13 goals and seven assists in 43 games in the shortened campaign, very much on par with his 2018-19 season. Sprong’s 2021-22 was another similar effort with 14 points in 47 games for the Capitals ahead of a March trade, this time to the Seattle Kraken, where he registered six points, all goals, in 16 games.
A RFA at season’s end, the Kraken chose not to qualify Sprong, the organization instead overhauling much of its forward group. Now, Sprong finds himself a UFA a month-and-a-half after the market opened looking for his next opportunity, which could come with his fifth NHL franchise. While he may not be any sort of high-end scoring option at the NHL level, Sprong does possess speed and an NHL caliber shot proven to put pucks in the back of the net at some frequency. On top of that, he is a bona fide scorer in the AHL.
Stats:
2021-22: 63 GP, 14 G, 6 A, 20 pts, + o rating, 8 PIMs, 153 shots, 12:59 ATOI
Career: 202 GP, 46 G, 24 A, 70 pts, -10 rating, 30 PIMs, 414 shots, 12:06 ATOI
Potential Suitors:
At this point in his career, it doesn’t appear Sprong’s place in the NHL is, or ever will be, as an everyday option for a team. However, he has shown he can handle NHL action when pressed into duty. In other words, he could be the perfect depth forward for an organization. On top of that, his ability to produce in the AHL is of value not only to AHL teams, but an NHL organization looking to establish a winning culture in their minor league system.
An ideal organization would be one that has a place to offer Sprong top-six minutes on their AHL squad, but maybe doesn’t have the layers of depth it would want to in case of emergency (think of the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators last fall). Sprong wouldn’t be the most valuable piece in whichever organization he’s a part of, but having him help an AHL club win hockey games, giving prospects a chance to understand winning and playing important professional games, while giving an NHL team an experienced player to join them when things get rough with injury or COVID, could lead to Sprong being a quietly vital part of the organization.
Projected Contract:
Even after the Kraken failed to qualify Sprong, it wasn’t unthinkable that he could get a guaranteed one-way contract this summer, especially given his skillset, previous contributions, and his age, though even that wouldn’t have been much more, if at all, above the $750K minimum salary. However, at this point in free agency, Sprong is most likely going to have to settle for a two-way deal. That wouldn’t necessarily be the worst option, as it could open up additional doors for Sprong to contribute and play important minutes at either level, which at 25 years of age, could still serve to grow his stock as a player.