Free Agent Profile: Daniel Sprong
How some NHL players are deployed is a topic of much debate and, sometimes, confusion. Coaches will often ice certain veterans for more minutes than they’re suited for at that stage in their career, while others will keep flawed but skilled players buried in the lineup despite producing numbers that can’t be ignored. Daniel Sprong fits squarely in the latter category.
Sprong has been a strong volume scorer dating back to his junior days, but NHL coaches have kept him buried in their lineups, routinely averaging fourth-line minutes and occasional second power-play duties. A second-round pick of the Penguins in 2015, Sprong unexpectedly found his way into NHL action at age 18 the following season, scoring twice in an 18-game stint. He returned to junior hockey the following season, and despite recording a point per game in his first full professional season with AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2017-18, he didn’t have much of a future in the Pens organization. He made Pittsburgh out of camp in 2018-19 but averaged a measly 8:34 per game through 16 contests, producing four assists, before he was traded to the Ducks in exchange for developing defenseman Marcus Pettersson.
In Anaheim, Sprong showed flashes, recording 14 goals and 19 points in 47 games after the swap. But he played only eight games the following year, spending most of it in the AHL, before being traded again to the Capitals. And after another unstable year and a half in D.C., it took yet another trade to the Kraken for the Dutchman to truly find his stride.
Sprong was one of many breakout forwards on Seattle in their 2022-23 campaign, managing to score 21 goals and 46 points with a +13 rating in only 66 appearances. That was good enough for a 26-goal, 57-point pace had he played in all 82 games – ridiculous numbers considering he’d again averaged just 11:25 per game. It yielded some pretty incredible numbers. At even strength, his 3.09 points per 60 minutes were third in the league, only behind Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon and then-Sabre Jeff Skinner.
But that was in a contract year, and he could have landed a semi-rich short-term deal had he taken Seattle to salary arbitration that summer as he was eligible to do. With money needed elsewhere in the lineup, the Kraken opted to walk away, relinquishing his signing rights by not issuing him a qualifying offer. He landed on the open market, signing a one-year, $2MM pact with the Red Wings.
Sprong was still effective as a depth scorer in Hockeytown, but his production took a small step back to 18 goals and 43 points in 76 games. Part of that was due to some puzzling deployment from head coach Derek Lalonde, who deployed him in far more defensive situations at even strength than he’d dealt with in Seattle. That caused his possession numbers to tank, too, seeing his even-strength shot attempt share dive by nearly nine percent from the year before and his expected goals share dive to a career-worst 45%, per Hockey Reference.
Now, aside from the de facto retired Joe Pavelski, Sprong remains the top offensive talent remaining in the second week of free agency. In fact, he and Pavelski are the only two names left unsigned from our Top 50 UFAs list released less than two weeks ago.
Stats
2023-24: 76 GP, 18 G, 25 A, 43 P, -5, 22 PIMs, 12:00 ATOI, 46.4 CF%
Career: 344 GP, 85 G, 74 A, 159 P, -2, 66 PIMs, 11:57 ATOI, 50.3 CF%
Potential Suitors
The Sharks have been active in adding veteran talent this summer to support a forward core led by rookies Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith beginning next season. Most of it has come via bottom-six checking depth, though, with Ty Dellandrea and Barclay Goodrow the notable additions there. Tyler Toffoli was also picked up for some more serious scoring reinforcements, but there is still likely a vacancy for a top-nine forward – especially if captain Logan Couture isn’t healthy to start the season.
Still in California, the Kings could also use a depth winger to replace Arthur Kaliyev, who remains under team control after being qualified last month but isn’t likely to sign a new deal in LA. Sprong has plenty more experience and consistency on his résumé in the bottom-six role that Kaliyev’s filled and carries more upside for a marginal increase in cash.
The Bruins still have some cap space to burn as well and need a more offensively-inclined name to take responsibility away from checking wingers like Justin Brazeau, Trent Frederic and new addition Max Jones. He’d have a decent shot at playing top-nine minutes in Boston at even strength, too, giving him an attractive destination to land more minutes and increase his market value.
Projected Contract
Most players who make it past the initial wave of UFA craziness usually have to settle for one-year deals. Evolving Hockey had predicted a three-year deal in the $3.3MM AAV range to begin with, but it’s unlikely he’ll receive that kind of term with the dust settled on pretty much everyone’s long-term planning. He could still very well land something around that cap hit, but likely on a one-year deal as he had in Detroit last year.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Utah Signs Artem Duda To Entry-Level Contract
July 10: Utah announced the signing Wednesday morning.
July 9: The Utah Hockey Club has signed defenseman Artem Duda to a three-year entry-level contract (as per PuckPedia). The 20-year-old was the Arizona Coyotes second-round pick in 2022 (36th overall) and spent last season at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he tallied two goals and five assists in 12 games.
The two-way defenseman’s contract comes in with an average annual value of $950K at the NHL level and a salary of $82,500 if he plays in the American Hockey League. It also includes a $95K signing bonus.
The Moscow native was supposed to play at the University of Maine this past season but was deemed ineligible by the NCAA due to his time spent in the KHL. He made several unsuccessful appeals and eventually pivoted to playing in USports Hockey for the second half of the season.
Duda will likely find his way onto the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL as Utah has acquired defensemen Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino this offseason which has pushed him down the team’s depth chart. He is an excellent skater and has good size, but won’t wow people with his offensive skills or his shot. However, he is a good passer and is poised with the puck on his stick. Given his skill set, Duda should find his way into the NHL before the end of his ELC.
Blue Jackets Sign Jake Christiansen To Two-Way Deal
The Blue Jackets have signed RFA defenseman Jake Christiansen to a one-year, two-way deal, a team announcement states. It’s worth $775K NHL/$350K AHL with a $400K guarantee, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Christiansen was among the 14 players who filed for salary arbitration last week.
Christiansen, 25 in September, has 44 games of NHL experience to this point in his career. Those have all come in Columbus over the past three seasons. He’s scored once and added six assists for seven points with a -11 rating while averaging 13:41 per game, struggling to keep up defensively in the process.
He’s been much better in the minors, where he’s totaled 140 points (40 goals, 100 assists) in 202 games with a -6 rating in four seasons with AHL Cleveland (and briefly Stockton). That includes a 2023-24 season that saw him rack up 13 goals and 46 points in 62 games, earning him a nod on the AHL’s year-end Second All-Star Team after representing the North Division in this year’s All-Star Game. The left-shot Vancouver native has always had an appealing shot from the blue line, leading the entire AHL in goals by defensemen with 13 in 2021-22 and doing the same in juniors with WHL Everett in 2019-20.
There are a couple of spots on the Blue Jackets’ blue lineup for grabs after the team non-tendered Jake Bean and bought out Adam Boqvist. Only five defensemen are signed to one-way deals for next season, including league-minimum veteran pickup Jack Johnson. Christiansen will be in a competition with 2022 sixth-overall pick David Jiříček and 2022 12th-overall pick Denton Mateychuk for roster spots out of camp.
Morning Notes: KHL, Megna, Damiani
Legalities in how Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League operates have become important in recent months. Their relationship with the IIHF and Russian Ice Hockey Federation (FHR) left their clubs open to sanctions when KHL side CSKA Moskva signed Flyers netminder Ivan Fedotov to a two-year contract last summer despite his having a valid contract with Philadelphia. That will no longer be the case, as the KHL released a statement yesterday announcing that they’ve gained independence from the IIHF and FHR, giving them a similar status internationally as the NHL. In doing so, KHL clubs no longer need IIHF permission or governance to sign players from foreign leagues – likely the biggest reason for the move. In their statement, the league said they’ll “continue to respect the validity of contracts of other leagues” and that “Experience with the NHL shows that both parties continue to fulfill their obligations even in the absence of a signed Memorandum.”
Other updates to kick off your Wednesday:
- The AHL’s Colorado Eagles have signed UFA forward Jayson Megna to a two-year contract, the team announced yesterday. Megna, 34, spent last season on a two-way deal with the Bruins, which yielded a lone call-up for their final game of the regular season. The Fort Lauderdale native spent parts of four seasons with the Eagles while under contract with the Avalanche from 2019-20 to 2022-23, posting 82 points (41 goals, 41 assists) in 103 games. The Nebraska-Omaha product has 204 NHL appearances under his belt since making his debut with the Penguins back in 2013-14, amassing 12 goals, 21 assists and 33 points with a -28 rating in fourth-line minutes.
- Former Flames and Stars prospect Riley Damiani is taking his talents overseas on a one-year deal with Augsburger Panther of Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga, per a club announcement. The 24-year-old pivot was a Dallas fifth-round pick in 2018, but after parts of five seasons with their AHL affiliate, he was traded to the Flames for Emilio Pettersen at this year’s trade deadline. Damiani finished the season with only one goal in 14 games while on assignment to AHL Calgary and wasn’t given a qualifying offer upon the expiration of his contract last month, making him a UFA. Damiani made seven NHL appearances for Dallas back in 2021-22, posting a goal and an assist while averaging 8:32 per game.
Ottawa Senators Third Pairing Options
The Ottawa Senators have been busy this offseason addressing their goaltending situation with the addition of Linus Ullmark and trying to improve their forward depth by signing free agents David Perron, Michael Amadio, and Noah Gregor. The team also shipped out defenseman Jakob Chychrun to the Washington Capitals for fellow defenseman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round draft pick. The trade for Jensen was widely panned but will likely improve Ottawa’s overall team defense.
Ottawa has a decent top-four that consists of Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub and the aforementioned Jensen, but the team could run into serious issues as the depth beyond those four is very weak. Frankie Corrado spoke with TSN 1200 this morning and wondered if the Senators need to shop the market for an additional defenseman to address the depth issue behind their top four. Currently, the Senators’ bottom pairing options consist of veteran Travis Hamonic, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and youngster Tyler Kleven, but Corrado wonders if the Senators should explore some potential improvements.
If the Senators want to fill out their bottom pairing internally, it appears that Kleven has the inside track for a role on the left side. The Fargo, North Dakota native was the Senators second-round pick in 2020 and played in nine games last season. While he didn’t put up much offense, he didn’t appear out of place in the NHL. On the right side, Hamonic struggled last season and appeared to be a buyout candidate this summer. It appears Ottawa is content with bringing him back, but at this stage of his career, he is best suited as a seventh defenseman. Bernard-Docker was decent for Ottawa last season but plays a simple game and isn’t particularly strong with the puck on his stick.
If the Senators explore free agency, there isn’t much available that would be a major improvement. Justin Schultz would bring an offensive element to the third pair and could improve the team’s power play but would add to the team’s defensive woes. Kevin Shattenkirk might be the best option for Ottawa on the free agent market as the 35-year-old is still a strong skater and could slot in on a second pair in a pinch. He is stronger defensively than most of the remaining free-agent options and could represent a small upgrade for the Senators.
If Ottawa is to explore the trade market for a defenseman it is unlikely they will want to give up many assets as the team has moved a pile of first-round picks in recent years and have one of the worst farm systems in the NHL. As Corrado suggests on TSN, the Senators might be best to explore a trade to take on an undesirable contract for a defenseman and add an asset in the process. The Senators currently have $3.6MM in cap space and could conceivably add a sizeable cap hit to fill out their third pairing. If this is the route Ottawa takes, there is no shortage of bad contracts that could be had.
Utah Signs Egor Sokolov To Two-Way Contract
The Utah Hockey Club has signed forward Egor Sokolov to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal was first reported by Mike Gould of Daily Faceoff (Twitter link). Utah acquired Sokolov from the Ottawa Senators on July 3rd, sending forward Jan Jenik the other way.
This deal will mark Sokolov’s first move away from the Senators organization after the club selected him in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, after a breakout year in the QMJHL, with 92 points, split evenly, in just 52 games. He turned pro immediately following the draft, recording 15 goals and 25 points in his first 35 games with the Belleville Senators. That production earned Sokolov the first eight NHL games of his career in 2021, though he went without any scoring. Still, he’s maintained his strong offense at an AHL level, ranking in the top three of Belleville’s scoring in each of the last three seasons. That notably includes a career year in 2022-23, when Sokolov managed 21 goals and 59 points in 70 games. He once again earned NHL games with the high-scoring, netting two points in five additional games with Ottawa.
Sokolov again recorded 21 goals this season, though he was limited to 46 total points in 71 games. A hefty, shoot-first winger, he’s still finding how to create and maintain tempo at the pro level, though Sokolov has shown a strong ability to produce on both a juniors and minor-league stage. A two-way deal will give him a chance to prove that potential with the NHL’s newest club this season, though he may have to first work his way up from the minor leagues.
Minor League Signings: 7/9/24
As the summer calms down for NHL teams, it’s beginning to pick up for minor league programs looking to fill out the depth of their lineup. We cover the notable AHL signings from July 9th here.
- The Ontario Reign have signed forward Shawn Element and defender John Parker-Jones. Element is moving north after spending the first three years of his career with the Syracuse Crunch. He’s found his groove as a bruiser over the last two seasons, posting 88 penalty minutes in 48 games last season and 100 in 64 games this year. His scoring has stayed consistent during the stretch, with Element marking nine goals and 18 points in both years. He’ll look to bring that grit to a hard-hitting Reign lineup. The same can be said about Parker-Jones, who recorded 90 penalty minutes in 55 games with the ECHL’s Trois-Rivieres Lions this year. He’s only played 22 AHL games since turning pro in 2022-23, recording just three points, but could get a better shot at ice time as he moves to a Reign lineup in need of defensive depth.
- The Henderson Silver Knights have signed centerman Mitch McLain to a two-year deal. The move will return McLain to the United States, after spending the last two seasons with the Calgary Wranglers. He recorded 32 goals, 51 points, and 220 penalty minutes in 119 games over the pair of years. The performances have helped McLain further dig his feet into the role of a high-event forward, after posting 17 goals, 23 points, and 113 penalty minutes in 76 games with the Milwaukee Admirals in 2021-22. He’ll hope his bruting presence can continue to Henderson, where he’ll back a young Silver Knights lineup.
- Henderson has also announced one-year deals for forwards Riley McKay and Braeden Bowman. McKay joins the Silver Knights after two years with the Laval Rocket and a brief stint with Trois-Rivieres. He’s recorded 17 points and 266 penalty minutes in 69 games with Laval – though he’s still searching for the heights he reached in 2021-22, when he managed 27 points and 192 penalty minutes in 51 ECHL games. Meanwhile, Bowman joins the Silver Knights as an undrafted free agent, after playing through a four-year career with the OHL’s Guelph Storm. Bowman managed 180 points across 184 games in the OHL and captained Guelph in this past season.
- The Charlotte Checkers have signed veteran AHL centerman Kyle Criscuolo to a one-year, minor-league contract. Criscuolo has spent the last 10 seasons in the AHL, playing for six different clubs and winning the Calder Cup in 2017. The 32-year-old has managed 143 points and 248 penalty minutes in 430 career games in the AHL. That includes Criscuolo’s career-high 42 points in 63 games this year. He’s also earned spot starts with three different NHL clubs, ultimately totaling 16 games and three points in the league. Criscuolo has a long track record in the hockey world, captaining Harvard University from 2014 to 2016 and since spending five years of his AHL career as an alternate captain. He’ll bring leadership and stout scoring to Charlotte’s lineup.
- Former Colorado Eagles captain Jayson Megna will stick with the team, after signing a two-year, minor-league contract (Twitter link). Megna spent parts of four seasons with the Eagles from 2019 to 2023, though he opted to sign a one-year, two-way deal with the Boston Bruins last summer. That moved him to the Providence Bruins for the 2023-24 season – to fantastic effect, with Megna posting a career-high 56 points in 69 games. It was the most time Megna has spent in the minors since 2018-19, spending much of his time since then filling a depth forward role int he NHL. He’s earned 33 points and 40 penalty minutes in 204 NHL games over the course of his career, but will instead focus on bringing his newfound scoring back to the Eagles next season.
- The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have re-signed forward Jacob Gaucher to a one-year deal, per Tony Androckitis of AHL.com (Twitter link). Gaucher played through his AHL rookie season this year, posting 16 points, split evenly, in 59 games and adding just 18 penatly minutes and a -7. The measly stat line comes after a tremendous ECHL season last year. In what was his first professional season, Gaucher posted 22 goals and 61 points in 71 games with the Reading Royals, adding 12 points in 11 playoff games. That performance has seemingly played him out of an ECHL role, though he’ll need to find his scoring at an AHL level next year if he wants to keep things that way.
Iowa Wild Hire Nathan McIver As Assistant Coach
The American Hockey League’s Iowa Wild has continued to round out their coaching staff by adding former defenseman Nathan McIver as an assistant coach according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. It will be McIver’s second stint as a coach in the AHL and will join Brett McLean‘s staff in Iowa who is entering his second season with the organization.
The hire will serve as an introduction to the Minnesota Wild organization for McIver who spent 10 years as a player in the AHL and NHL. McIver began his professional playing career in the 2005-06 season with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL and would make his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks only a year later. The bruising defenseman became known as an enforcer throughout his days on the blue line while also spending time with the Anaheim Ducks organization, the Providence Bruins, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Hamilton Bulldogs, and the Norfolk Admirals.
It didn’t take long for McIver to find a new line of work after his playing days ended following the 2015-16 season. The veteran AHL defenseman spent four years as the assistant coach with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals where the team finished either second or third in the Eastern Conference during each year of his tenure. McIver moved on to the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers in the same role for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons before taking a brief stop as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Belleville Senators last year.
Tucson Roadrunners Re-Sign Three Players
Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports reports the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League have brought back a trio of players for the 2024-25 AHL season. Goaltender Dylan Wells and forwards Ryan McGregor and Hunter Drew will all be back with the Roadrunners next year on one-year AHL contracts.
Wells and Drew are the only individuals of the trio that have made their NHL debut with Wells making one start in 2023 with the Chicago Blackhawks and Drew making his a year earlier with the Anaheim Ducks. The goaltender has almost a decade of experience at the professional level between the AHL and ECHL. Overall, Wells has produced a record of 26-23-7 in 60 AHL games throughout his career while posting a .898 save percentage and 3.20 goals against average. He will likely continue his role as backup goaltender for Tucson behind Matt Villalta.
Drew has become quite the enforcer in the minor leagues as he’s accrued 452 penalty minutes in 223 games split between the Roadrunners, San Diego Gulls, and Rockford IceHogs. He usually produces mildly on the offensive side of the puck but did register 10 goals for Tucson last season in a fine year for secondary/tertiary scoring.
McGregor, the former captain of the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, has become an effective bottom-six forward in Tucson. McGregor was originally drafted by the Maple Leafs in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft but only suited up in four games for the Toronto Marlies before the organization decided not to keep him around. Since then, McGregor has scored 20 goals and 54 points for the Roadrunners in 156 games over the last four years.
AHL Notes: Cates, Unger Sörum, Marody
The AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Rockford IceHogs, will have a familiar face on the roster next season. The team announced they have agreed to terms with forward Jackson Cates to a one-year AHL contract for the 2024-25 AHL season.
Cates joined the IceHogs last year on a professional tryout agreement after the Philadelphia Flyers decided not to tender him a contract for the 2023-24 NHL season. The young forward came to the Flyers organization after a strong showing with the University of Minnesota-Duluth as an undrafted free agent. In three years split between Philadelphia and AHL Lehigh Valley, Cates tallied two assists in 20 NHL games while scoring 33 points in 102 AHL games.
Cates was by no means a standout player in Rockford but did finish 10th on the team in scoring with 11 goals and 25 points in 50 games. He also spent a brief period with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers last year where he tallied one goal in 12 contests. As the Blackhawks continue to graduate prospects through the farm system this season, Cates will be a good bit of continuity for the younger players to get accustomed to professional life.
Other AHL notes:
- According to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, the Carolina Hurricanes will bring prospect Felix Unger Sörum to North America this season where he will likely play for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Beginning to look like one of the better playmakers from the 2023 NHL Draft, Unger Sörum scored three goals and 12 assists for Leksands IF of the SHL this season after being selected with the 62nd overall pick by the Hurricanes.
- Although nothing is confirmed to this point, all signs indicate forward Cooper Marody will return to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on an AHL contract for the 2024-25 season according to Tony Androckitis of Insider AHL Hockey. Marody has spent the last two years with the Phantoms where he has posted 34 goals and 96 points in 115 games. As the team’s highest scorer from the 2023-24 regular season, Marody also tallied five assists in six playoff matchups before Lehigh Valley was eliminated in the Atlantic Division semifinals by the Hershey Bears.