By Jonathan Bombulie
January 6, 2018
Daniel Sprong scores his second goal of the game against Jaroslav Halak on January 5th in New York (Getty Images)
After his former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton teammate put up two goals and an assist against the New York Islanders on Friday night, winger Tom Sestito sent congratulations to Daniel Sprong via social media.
“See you at camp next year,” Sestito tweeted.
The AHL heavyweight might have a point.
The top prospect in the Penguins system, Sprong has been as good as advertised in his first four NHL games of the season after being called up last weekend.
Unless Sprong stops by to say farewell while picking up some of his belongings in northeastern Pennsylvania, his time in that part of the state might be done for good, and there are a few reasons for that development.
First, Sprong looks to be maniacally committed to shooting the puck.
He has 17 shots in the four games since his call-up. Second on the team during that span is Patric Hornqvist with 12. No one else is in double digits.
“I try to shoot the puck when I'm in good scenarios,” Sprong said.
He's in good scenarios a lot.
Second, Sprong looks like he's going to be a good fit on Sidney Crosby's wing.
Young players over the years sometimes have struggled in that role, failing to keep up with Crosby's pace or deferring too much to the 30-year-old superstar.
Sprong seems to have enough swagger in his game to make that a moot point.
“It was exciting to play with him,” Sprong said after he, Crosby and Dominik Simon combined for three even-strength goals Friday night. “He made me pretty comfortable out there, and I thought our line played well as a unit.”
Sprong also fits with Crosby tactically.
Crosby is at his best when the puck is on his stick. It stands to reason, then, that he would be complemented by a linemate with a shooter's instincts for setting up in the soft spots of a defense and waiting to strike.
Jake Guentzel and Conor Sheary have those instincts. They are on display even more obviously with Sprong.
“I just tried to find open space and try to put myself in a good spot,” Sprong said.
Finally, Sprong's time in the AHL seems to have served him well.
He lived up to his offensive billing, recording 18 goals and 28 points in 29 games this season, earning AHL Rookie of the Month honors for December and being chosen for the league's all-star game in the past week.
He wasn't as consistent a scorer as Guentzel, who had 21 goals and 42 points in 33 AHL games last season, but he wasn't far off.
Just as importantly, Sprong appears to have improved his play away from the puck during his minor-league stay. He hasn't looked out of place on the defensive end of the ice at the NHL level.
“We wish him the best,” Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach Clark Donatelli told The Citizens' Voice. “He came down here and worked his tail off. It wasn't always easy. He went through some hard times.”
It's safe to assume there will be more hard times for Sprong as he establishes himself as a regular NHL player.
His defensive deficiencies could show themselves against top competition. He was a streaky scorer during his AHL days, too, so a cold snap might be right around the corner.
It also might prove tempting for general manager Jim Rutherford to use Sprong as trade bait should he try to land a big fish for a run at a three-peat before the NHL trade deadline at the end of February.
For now, though, Sprong has taken the first few steps toward living up to his potential.
“He's got a great shot and great skill,” Crosby said. “It was nice to see him bury a couple.”
Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jbombulie@tribweb.comor via Twitter @BombulieTrib.
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