One Darryl “Dobber” Dobbs of DobberHockey.com posted a list of his “15 Most Baffling Moves of the Offseason,” and Dobber spends quite a bit of time questioning why Daniel Sprong signed with the Red Wings:
14. Detroit/Daniel Sprong – Detroit and Daniel Sprong: This ‘baffle’ is for both parties. Sprong enjoyed a great season with Seattle despite being held down the lineup by his coach – his production kept him afloat despite limited opportunity. It’s smart of him and his agent to get him signed to a contract right away. They read the market and determined that they needed to lock things down before the money dried up, because he didn’t have a strong enough foothold on a roster spot to get an NHL job even days after free agency opened. He also did well to get a $2M contract, even for one year. But…Detroit? He is genuinely risking that next contract. With Alex DeBrincat, David Perron, Robby Fabbri, Lucas Raymond, Jonatan Berggren absolutely locking up the first five wing spots, he has to beat out both Klim Kostin and Joe Veleno (who I believe moves to the wing this year) if he wants a spot in the top nine. If he’s not in the top nine nor on a PP unit, he’s not getting a contract next year, simple as that. Seems a little risky, when other teams could have used him even if it meant taking a bit less.
And from Detroit’s standpoint? Why? Seems like the Red Wings solved their issues in adding depth on the wing by acquiring Kostin and signing Christan Fischer. And if they still need one, they can call up Marco Kasper or Elmer Soderblom. Not a huge deal, just a bit of a curiosity for me due to a lack of fit.
As far as I’m concerned, Sprong fits quite well as a 3rd line scorer, and as a 25-year-old who posted 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points over the course of only 66 games this past season, maybe he’ll give somebody in the Wings’ “top six” a run for their money.
From the Red Wings’ point of view, you have to over-build up front, because injuries are going to happen, and from Sprong’s point of view, snagging a $2 million contract is perhaps more than market value for a player who was on a 57-point pace for the first time in his career. Maybe it’s not the best fit, but it’s not an irrational move.
As for this one from Dobber…
13. Detroit – Justin Holl: The Red Wings lack right-shot defensemen in the lineup, so I get that part of it. Holl’s metrics weren’t great, but they weren’t as bad as Leafs’ fans and analysts would have you believe. He did get scratched by the Leafs near the end of his tenure there. But…three years at $3.4M cap hit? Seems like the agent had Steve Yzerman convinced that other teams were in a bidding war with them.
Continued; I sort of shrug my shoulders about Holl and Ben Chiarot. Holl is big at 6’4″ and 194 pounds, he’s a 20-point, 40-penalty-minute type guy, and he’s a useful 2nd pair defenseman.
Not worth the $3.4 million in my opinion, but if he can keep up with Shayne Gostisbehere on an offensive pair, or Olli Maatta on a more steady defensive pair, I’m fine with it, if not resigned to it.
