The NHL's top free agents have found homes for next season. But two veterans who remain UFAs, Daniel Sprong and Oliver Kylington, have great value to offer.
Oliver KylingtonMost of the NHL's top free agents have been signed this summer, but some veterans remain without contracts. Two of them, in particular, could be nice secondary options.
Ryan Kennedy and Jacob Stoller discussed Daniel Sprong and Oliver Kylington on The Hockey News Wraparound Show. Both players are 27 years old and are intriguing in their own ways.
Sprong has bounced around the NHL but can bring a solid amount of offense to a team. In the last two seasons, Sprong has a combined 39 goals, including 18 goals and 43 points in 76 games in 2023-24. Playing for a salary of $2 million, that’s a solid value deal for the Detroit Red Wings that signed him away from the Seattle Kraken last summer.
Many teams could use a boost on offense, whether it's a rebuilding club looking to keep games close or a team with cap space aiming for the playoffs or further, such as the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers or Colorado Avalanche. Sprong, a native of the Netherlands who has spent much of his formative years in Canada, could easily be signed for roughly the same amount of money. The scoring depth he’d provide would make him well worth the investment, especially if he gets another 40 points.
As THN Detroit contributor Connor Earegood mentioned, Sprong's weakness on defense could justify why the Red Wings haven't brought him back. But on the right group with a strong blueline, there could be more support for Sprong to focus on what he does best. The Winnipeg Jets, for example, allowed the fewest goals against last season and still have Connor Hellebuyck in net with more than $5 million in cap space, per PuckPedia. While there isn't much speculation to suggest the Jets are looking at Sprong, it could be worthwhile to consider.
Similarly, former Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington is also still searching for a new NHL home. The 27-year-old blueliner has missed time in the past couple of seasons for mental health reasons, but his determination to continue playing made him a finalist this past year for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. Kylington also is only a couple of years removed from a nine-goal, 31-point season for the Flames in 2021-22.
Kylington’s 2023-24 salary of $2.5 million makes him an affordable option for teams seeking some offensive help and speed on the blueline. On the right team, the Swedish native might be able to improve on his personal-best totals.
NHL GMs – particularly those who are strapped for salary cap space – might be waiting out unsigned players like Sprong and Kylington to drive down their salary asks as much as possible. Every dollar saved is a dollar that can be used during the season to address roster issues, so you can understand why executives aren’t going to be throwing tons of money at them. But the other side is teams are always looking for capable depth performers, and these two players qualify as such.
They’re now in a high-stakes game of chicken, waiting to see if the UFA market will reward or restrict them in regard to their next payday. Time will tell whether they get the monetary respect they believe they’re due, but at the moment, it’s a big waiting game.