From The Silky Mitten State: Some possible destinations for former Red Wings winger Daniel Sprong
Earlier this week, with help from HockeyViz.com, I wrote about why Daniel Sprong remains unsigned as an unrestricted free agent, despite his strong track record of goal scoring:
Detroit generated plenty of offense but gave up even more, while he himself was a strong finisher and set-up man with a strong "shootiness" score (i.e. an extreme willingness to fire the puck himself). The seas of red in the defensive zone offer a decent explanation as to the reason the Red Wings have opted to let Sprong walk, his offensive contributions unable to justify his defensive vacuity. Detroit isn't the first team to come to that conclusion of Sprong, with the Capitals and Kraken each making a similar decision to allow the Dutch sniper to walk despite strong production in limited usage.
Evidently, it's a judgment a decent portion of the league shares, with Sprong still un-signed two weeks after the start of unrestricted free agency. However, even if Sprong might not be a fit for an outfit looking to tighten its defensive belt and push into the postseason, he can provide value via his scoring touch elsewhere.
On the latest episode of The Silky Mitten State, my co-host Connor Earegood and I considered that topic in more detail. You can check out a sample of our conversation in the video above, then listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: