The Athletic’s Harman Dayal posted a list of the NHL’s best unrestricted free agent contracts, and he believes that Steve Yzerman’s signing of Daniel Sprong counts toward the positive category:
Daniel Sprong, Detroit Red Wings
Contract: $2 million x one year
Let’s get the disclaimer out of the way: Daniel Sprong is flawed defensively and probably needs to play in a sheltered bottom-six role to perform best. Some teams don’t have the appetite to accommodate a one-dimensional player like that, but Detroit’s a team where that fit makes sense.
The Red Wings finished 24th in goals-per-game last season and have had trouble adding scoring this summer. Sprong helps in that department, as he notched 21 goals and 46 points in 66 games while averaging 11:25 per game for Seattle. He has a quick release and can beat goalies from distance with regularity at both even-strength and on the man advantage. The encouraging aspect of his production last season is that he didn’t need offensively gifted linemates by his side — he scored five-on-five points at a prolific rate while spending most of the year in a fourth-line role with Geekie and Brandon Tanev.
In a best-case scenario, Sprong could solidify himself in a third-line role with whichever one of Andrew Copp or J.T. Compher becomes the 3C, since either center would be able to shelter him defensively. Adding Sprong’s finishing ability at a modest $2 million cap hit, with just a one-year commitment, makes him a solid signing for Detroit.
Continued (paywall)
