While the young Dutchman’s best play is usually to shoot, he’s more likely to pass now to someone with better position.

The only question is when.

overflow: hidden; It won’t be easy to crack a Pittsburgh lineup that already has Phil Kessel, Patric Hornqvist, Bryan Rust and Zach Aston-Reese on the right side.

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A boom or bust pick on the team that could really emphasize the word ‘boom’ here. December 2015  – Pittsburgh finally sent its prized goal-scoring winger prospect back to his junior team in Charlottetown after he barely played in 18 games with the big club and was a healthy scratch for the other 13. December 2017 – After sniping nine goals in 17 games to tie Ryan Haggerty for the team lead, the precocious RW sits second in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton points with 14, one behind Dominik Simon. He has to bring his A Game to beat out someone, a tall order considering ’s RWs are led by Phil Kessel, Bryan Rust and Patric Hornqvist. September 2015 – The talented youngster got noticed Sept. 22 with a goal and an assist, both on the power play, in Pittsburgh’s second pre-season game, a 7-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Virtually guaranteed a top-six placement when the remaining season on RW Patric Hornqvist’s contract expires, Sprong will likely get AHL seasoning in the short term, with callups along the way. Sprong convinced management he fit that description by playing assertively, scoring three goals in five pre-season games and quite possibly being the best player in camp.

NHL COMPARABLE: Ales Hemsky. When cleared for duty, he’s expected to rejoin the Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL and regain his sniping ability with his junior team. Sprong has future top-six Pittsburgh sniper written all over him.

The mass demotions leave 26 players in training camp before final cuts. Sprong undoubtedly learned by osmosis, but a young player needs to play, and by not returning him to junior within 10 NHL games, Rutherford has burned a season of his entry contract. He marinated, though, in the AHL for 65 productive games in which his point-per-game campaign included leading Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with 32 goals and 33 assists.

Already sitting on four goals and two assists, the speedy sniper is showing signs of following Jake Guentzel’s career track and forcing Pittsburgh to promote him without playing a full minor-league campaign.

The wingers around Ryan Getzlaf have been rotating all season, so Carlyle should try the two together to spark their 30th ranked G/GP (2.3).
October – Considering he’s just 18 and Pittsburgh is deeper at right wing after acquiring Phil Kessel, it would be surprising if the Dutch hotshot makes the opening-day NHL roster. Expect him to return to junior with the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders for another season before making his presence felt at the Penguins’ 2017 training camp. Just a plus-one rating for the powerful AHL Penguins hints where he needs to improve to realize his considerable NHL sniper potential. text-decoration: none It’s conceivable that he will stick with the big club for the rest of the season, particularly if fellow young hotshot Jake Guentzel continues to struggle. If so, position versatility could help him to make his return to the big time a triumph. It’s not the scoring line he will eventually star on, but the Pens are unlikely to rush him after botching his first try at the NHL. Worth sitting on for two or three years. January 2018 – With Dominik Simon clicking with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh offense rolling again, Sprong was returned to the AHL. He went pointless in Calgary in nine minutes on the ice with no powerplay or shorthanded duties. Daniel Sprong has been lighting the lamp in the QMJHL all season. The Penguins can still return him to junior up to nine games into the season, but Sprong has passed another important test en route to living his dream. /* ----------------------------------------- */ For a finesse player, Sprong is pretty strong on his skates and has shown really good balance and agility when carrying the puck through and around defenders. After an uneven pre-season, the setback has spared him from possibly being demoted to the AHL. February 2017 – The sniping youngster has resumed his promising career path after rehabbing a devastating shoulder injury that required surgery. color: #818fbd; Scouting Report There’s always one. Scouting Report: A good, agile skater with fast first steps and great speed with the puck, able to move in different directions unexpected. After just two goals with minimal ice time, mostly on the fourth line, the Dutch native will get plenty of playing time with the QMJHL’s Islanders, whom he led in scoring for the past two seasons. He has a bright future with the Penguins, and should stick the next time he’s called up after some AHL seasoning.

color: black; Every year, one prospect stands out above his peers for both the good and the bad; the kind of player who forces talent evaluators to take a few extra dips into the Rolaids container since the kid will either turn into a star or make a …


He’s capable of flashing one-on-one attacking ability with his slick puck skills and then unleashing a deceptively quick shot. In other words, he was involved in his limited opportunities.

By.

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June 2017 – Sprong continues to post eye-popping statistics befitting a prolific scorer with quick feet, sure hands and a nose for the net. The speedy and opportunistic winger had a goal and a helper in a 4-0 win against the Islanders, playing mostly with Sidney Crosby and Dominik Simon as the youngsters inspired Crosby to his first four-point game this season. After two goals and an assist in a three-game NHL fling, the 21-year-old leads Wilkes-Barre/Scranton skaters with 26 goals (tied for fourth in the AHL) and 53 points (tied for 15th) in 56 outings.

2020 NHL Draft.

If the Pens dealt Kessel and his $6.8-million cap hit, Sprong’s two remaining years at $750,000 would greatly relieve the team’s unrelenting cap pressure.

With Dupuis in hospital, Sprong made the most of his limited chances in the back-to-back games, scoring on one of his two shots on goal in Edmonton.