From The Silky Mitten State: Daniel Sprong folded back into the lineup last night in Carolina because of illness elsewhere, but what does his run of healthy scratches say about his future in Detroit?
From The Silky Mitten State: Daniel Sprong folded back into the lineup last night in Carolina because of illness elsewhere, but what does his run of healthy scratches say about his future in Detroit?
Last night, illness left the Red Wings without the services of Patrick Kane and Austin Czarnik in Carolina. As a result, winger Daniel Sprong folded back into the lineup out of necessity. Sprong had been a healthy scratch in Detroit's three previous games (a 6-3 win over the Islanders, an 0-1 defeat in Nashville, and the 4-3 OT defeat against the Capitals).
“I think it’s our team game,” coach Derek Lalonde said of the decision to leave Sprong out of the lineup, before Detroit departed for its present road trip. "We just talked about eight quality periods, so a little rhythm of our lines. I’d probably put Spronger in that same boat too, where obviously both Spronger and Berggren can produce some offense but just the rhythm or lines right now — I just (think) we’ve played some really good team hockey right now. So I think it’s more about what the group’s doing. Let’s keep it together.”
Against the Hurricanes last night, Sprong played 12:44. He earned a -1 rating and did not record a shot on goal. There were moments when he provided the Red Wings with some badly needed forward thrust, but he struggled to connect that game to Detroit's broader structure.
With nine games remaining, it's hard not wonder about whether Sprong—a pending unrestricted free agent—will return to the Red Wings for the 2024-25 season. From Sprong's perspective, it's not hard to understand why being a healthy scratch during three of the season's most pivotal games might lead to some doubts about re-signing. It also raises questions about Detroit's (and perhaps most acutely Lalonde's) interest in retaining Sprong this summer.
On the most recent episode of The Silky Mitten State, my co-host Connor Earegood and I discussed this dynamic. For a snippet of this conversation, check out the clip below:
For full episodes of The Silky Mitten State, go to Apple Podcasts or Spotify:
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