Why one of the BEST offensive players in the NHL is a 4TH LINER

Daniel Sprong has produced offense like one of the best players in the entire NHL over the past 2 seasons with the Seattle Kraken and the Detroit Red Wings. But for some reason, he's consistently deployed as a 4th liner when it comes to his ice time. In this video, I break down why that is.
0:00 Best offensive players in the league
0:54 Daniel Sprong?!
2:10 The good
4:42 The ugly
7:00 Should Sprong get more ice time?
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[@henrymoon6351]

incrediby good analysis of his defensive problems

[@markiv2942]

@@randombutrelevant1606Because it isn't easier. It requires work and constant concentration. Some people just don't have that continuous effort in them. Problem is that people always appreciate more good offence because they think it's harder to learn than defence. In NHL level that isn't the case.

[@thepspman116]

@@randombutrelevant1606 questionable take on defense...

[@Hrybread]

If it was true that D was harder, every elite player would be good at defense. Most are awful, and only some are even good. It's a skill that needs development just like offense

[@Hrybread]

The analysis of what sprong should have done was pretty weird (like saying he should have taken the body in the neutral zone when he was nowhere near anyone)

[@branm9926]

well put :)@@markiv2942

[@TDOGG63]

Dude is a legendary fourth liner in my book. Didn't know much about him when he first started with Detroit but his quick accurate shot quickly made me remember his name. He also gave up the 88 to Patrick Kane when he rolled into town. A real class act.

[@Peace2U-ec6es]

He gave up 88, but that number 17 was worn by Brett Hull so not a bad trade! Let's go Red Wings!

[@ML-kx9gz]

Legend is a stretch to say the least. And he had no choice but to give up the 88. Likely started wearing the number because Kane in the first place.

[@m5louks1]

I love sprong, but there is no denying that's he's a defensive liability. The trick is going to be not over paying for his offense. I hope he sticks around.

[@krog21]

​@@ML-kx9gz he wore 88 to honour Ovi. He never wanted to wear 8 because it's Ovi's number but decided to wear 88 as a tribute to Ovi.

[@elielpakkala3882]

If the wings make a deep playoff run, Sprong and Petry are absolutely hazards to our success.

[@norwoodkubisiak1391]

Hell of a video, I knew he was good offensively but didn’t realize he was THAT good. Was wondering why he played so little but never noticed how ineffective he is defensively. Thank you for making this.

[@gabrielidusogie9189]

what a great breakdown on the x's and o's of a hockey player and how a coach would use them in their system

[@CunuckHockey]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ItsJ40]

I’m a Detroit fan currently living in Seattle, once the wings picked him up from the kraken I knew he was gonna fit great

[@m0ntaukTV]

Wings fans in Seattle babyyy 🙌

[@TheChupacabra]

He must catch hell from coaches. I was surprised the Caps dealt him, his salary to goal ratio was great

[@asapketo]

Sprong played junior in my hometown. Have followed his career ever since. Glad to see him fitting in well with Detroit. I think when he feels secure and gets a longer contract hopefully next year he'll become a more well rounded player but ive always loved watching his offensive talent

[@4.5.0.Garage]

He was awesome on the island

[@severimakela3141]

@@randombutrelevant1606 Not everyone were taught how to play defense properly in the juniors. If you are good enough to dominate, you rarely need to play d in the juniors. And its very hard to change habits that you have been doing your whole life. Those things should have been corrected 10-15 years ago for him.

[@speedybure]

You can say the same for Patrick Lane, huge defensive liability…

[@benellison5668]

PEI

[@mtndew0859]

One of the only hockey channels besides hockey psychology that provides great in depth analysis of hockey. Keep it up 👍

[@rogerpowers3891]

I played against this guy when we were about 14. Best player on the ice and I knew for sure he was gonna be playing in the show. Awesome to see him get some well deserved recognition.

[@TheChupacabra]

Dutch guy who played in California? Does he act more American or more euro?

[@jackhanley8174]

you just gained a subscriber! great analysis, video style, pacing, and everything between. Looking forward to seeing more!

[@mybuddychad]

Loved him on the Caps. Wish we held onto him. Glad to see him doing so well.

[@esperago]

Excellent info shared in this video. Very unique content. Thanks for digging it up.

[@CunuckHockey]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Thenorthelect]

I was just talking about sprong to a guy at my work the other day. I was like that sprong guy always seems to be on the score sheet and he always seems to score at crucial times. I’ve always wondered why he doesn’t get more praise. You did a great job on breaking it all down in this video and he really is a great role player. 👍

[@sergeymontross4680]

I’ve known about Sprong since he played for the same travel team I played with growing up in Wilkes barre then when he got drafted by Pittsburgh! Pretty cool story!

[@willemkrantz438]

I don't watch hockey at all but I loved this vid! You did a fabulous job breaking everything down and I had a blast hearing about a dude I didn't know existed!

[@CunuckHockey]

That's amazing! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Hopefully it kickstarts your interest in hockey even more! Really appreciate the comment!

[@PinholesGraham]

Great video. This is the hockey content I love to see. Keep it up! :)

[@wildhockeyTroJan]

This is fantastic analysis. What's most frustrating (although, in a way, gives Sprong potential) is that it's barely even a question of exerting "more effort" with him. He just has to stop shutting his brain off in the defensive zone. It really makes you wonder how he hasn't been able to address these problems already -- is it stubbornness or a mental block?

[@CunuckHockey]

You’re exactly right! He’s still decently young so I do wonder if he can turn it around on the defensive side as he continues to mature. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@oak8728]

I’d guess it is stubbornness. He has a history of that sort of attitude.

[@DavidVandemark]

@@CunuckHockeyI can’t imagine Yzerman accepting a defensive liability who refuses to adapt for long

[@Irevoltnow]

Or it just might be down to hockey IQ. Either you are born with or not. That is something that is really hard to get better at during career.

[@tylerriggs95]

@@Irevoltnowno one is born with hockey IQ…some players are just selfish and only care about offense. Sprong is puck watching bc he’s always thinking about breaking out of the zone on O instead of committing to D.

[@MissionForward3]

Excellent analysis!

[@paulshelly4300]

This is a phenomenal break down. New follower

[@holliefitzzz]

wings fan here - been a joy to watch sprong this season

[@noahpetherbridge5127]

Subscribed for this video. This is quality content, I expect more of it. Good on you, bro. Keep up the good work and you’ll go far on this platform, as a consumer of lots of various hockey content on here

[@CunuckHockey]

I appreciate it!

[@joshuaholtrop5681]

Thanks for this, as a Detroit fan I keep asking, why doesn’t Sprong play more! He hustles (consistently gives himself breakaways because of strong speed, and forces a lot of turnovers on the forecheck. Hadn’t watched him closely in the d zone but now it makes more sense why he doesn’t play much, I think if he keeps hustling as he has, he will improve!

[@Woody10719]

dudes been in the league 9 years, hes not improving his d game anytime soon.

[@Raumance]

@@Woody10719 Exactly. You don't need good decision making for offence. Either shoot, pass or look for position. But for defence you are playing formation as a team. You can't just think of the puck. Offence is very straightforward. Score get rewarded. But there is no reward for defence. The only driving motivator for learning defence is the will to win. It's crazy people just assume these things happen magically. It only happens if the player has the will for it.

[@severimakela3141]

@@Raumance and not everyone have that burning desire to win. Just a fact.

[@Raumance]

@@severimakela3141 Exactly. Scoring goals is just fun so of course everyone likes it. But defence is not.

[@ronproietti6050]

That was one of the better video's I watched in a while,,being a Red Wing fan made it even sweeter and the fact that Sprong comes from down the street..and that my grandson plays in the same minor league,,,enough said...A BIG thank you !! Yes I have SUBSCRIBED

[@sirchromiumdowns2015]

Good analysis.

[@paulolsen6770]

This is great content.

[@skyscraper5910]

Love this kind of context

[@benellison5668]

Amazing analysis. He was and is my favorite Kraken

[@kraaronson]

Fantastic work. One of the few times I've liked a video. Great use of evidence rather than just repetitive rambling.

[@CunuckHockey]

Thank you so much! This comment made my day tbh, really appreciate it!

[@lekcindr]

Great video. After reading the title and early in the video I was wondering why he wasn't betting more ice time but lack of effort is inexcusable at any level. I don't blame him for decision making, imo that's more something that comes with experience, playing time and chemistry, etc. but you can't give less than 100%. Some of the clips of lackadaisical play in here would've had me irate as a coach. The best part though is that it's easily fixable if the proper attitude is in place. If Sprong is aware of the info in this video, that should be inspiration enough to improve in the defensive aspect of the game.

[@juhuu13579]

Amazing stuff! It would be nice if the EA games would reflect these things in more detail, would love to be a GM and think about these types of situations

[@caleb-dx7yd]

Wings have great offensive depth. They. A couple of weeks ago wings got 10 players with at least 10+ goals. Now they have 12 and will have 14 by the end of the season. Nobody else in the NHL has more than Detroit in players with 10+ goals

[@jacobt8173]

As of 3 days ago it was DET 12, VAN 10, BOS,CAR,COL,DAL, NJ with 9. May have changed but other than looking at each team idk if that stat is easily available. It was an infograph during the game against washington.

[@weaverproject]

I really liked him in Seattle and was sad to see him go, however he then went to my hometown Redwings and I couldn’t have been happier.

[@thlion]

Awesome analysis. As a Red Wings fan, I want him in the team next season, but his cap hit can't be higher than it is now.

[@SuperPensfan87]

I was so excited when he got drafted to Pittsburgh after watching him play so much in Charlottetown. He had one of the most lethal shots I’ve seen in the Q. Hopefully he lands somewhere he can really shine

[@Hadrez-NL]

Excellent analysis. As a European follower of NHL hockey and a countryman of Sprong, I myself often wonder why he doesn't get that many top/middle 6 minutes, especially when looking at his points gathering prowess. I thought it mostly had to do with his attitude (has been mentioned in the past), but your explanation about his defensive game rings true.

[@judeau9151]

amazing content. Super surprised to see you only have 3K subs. Keep up the good work and the algorithm will come around. As good as any hockey commentary channel I follow - and I follow a lot of them

[@judeau9151]

these extra comments are for the algorithm

[@judeau9151]

please disregard

[@judeau9151]

I am unemployed

[@judeau9151]

above ground pools are whack bowls of cold bug soup

[@judeau9151]

lasagna is just slimy spaghetti cake

[@NBordzy]

Great video, you earned a subscriber.

[@CunuckHockey]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@howchincs]

Great video overall. Don't know if you've payed attention to Alex Holtz on the devils, being stuck on the 4th line. If you have watched him, would you say that these situations are similar?

[@justinhackney5232]

Love Sprong. Need to extend him!!

[@davidevans1534]

Totally agree with this breakdown i saw him like this when he was with the ducks

[@WonderFig]

great video

[@CunuckHockey]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@AristaRockLord]

An underrated on my Wings very happy to have him to our O this year!! Playoff bound!!

[@thewaterwarrior9817]

Sick vid bud

[@Peace2U-ec6es]

When I saw the picture of Spronger laying on the ice after making a big play I thought "Where have I seen this before?" Then I remembered the movie MIRACLE- Almost identical picture of Rob McClanahan smiling and laying on the ice right after making the pass to Mike Eruzioni. 1980 Lake Placid... USA!

[@Formzy]

We NEEDED this video! I been talking about this guy for years n never know y he was almost a point per game player but gets scratched n plays 4th line…now I know! 🤯🤣🙌🏿🙏🏻

[@danglesnipecelly13]

When he was a free agent in the off season he was on my radar for the wings. He had 21 goals with limited minutes in Seattle. Then of course free agncey comes and Yzerman sighs him 😂 I was happy and he’s played so well.

[@daijler3924]

Fastest subsribe I've ever done, an answer to a question lingering in the back of my mind since game 1 this season. Quality Video and underrated chanel it seems

[@CunuckHockey]

I’m really late to reply to this but thank you so much! I hope I can keep making more content that you enjoy!

[@hannahbowman6058]

I was devastated when the caps traded Sprong, I’m glad he’s doing well in Detroit Also, pretty crazy that Edmonton has 4 guys on that stat list lol

[@ZRB_]

Had no idea who this guy was before he was wing, now my current favorite player. Guy makes things happen.

[@GrizzaSMASH]

I knew nothing of Sprong until he was picked up by Seattle. Then he started scoring. It was insane. Next season, I thought they would keep him, and surprised they let him walk. He's an exciting forward to watch. But, I have to keep reminding a buddy of mine why they can't push him up in the lineup. If he ever got in a chance to work on his defense, dude would easily be in the top 6.

[@dbliss741]

Subscribed

[@johanjotun1647]

Every leg day when i have to dig deep to get out those last sets of squats, I think to myself this is how you get that Sprong backside

[@robrichards8074]

I remember seeing a bio video of him in his draft year. He was ranked in the top 10 for his offensive game but his defense needed work. A great secondary scorer that if he is used right, he won't be a liability defensively.

[@bapjap]

Loved him on Anaheim. I get that he is a defensive liability but he’s quite the talent

[@f.f5771]

One of my favourite Penguins, incredibly underrated

[@imulippo5245]

Efficiency is the most beautiful aspect in any team game. Your personal impact to the team's success is the king factor.

[@Ikeisahero]

I remember him destroying the Qmjhl in junior and it was obvious he had a talent for scoring like that!

[@TheDetroitLFC]

Can't fix desire or intensity. We've some of the best two way forwards in red and white. He has a lot to live up to in that shirt. I hope he is actively working on theses.

[@cxyler-_-4325]

W analysis

[@scotteberline5458]

Detroit fan. Ive loved him ever since he came to the wings. I knew he was gonna be legit when he had 4G in 4 preseason games. He’s shot/release is one of the best I’ve ever seen. I hope DET signs him for 3-4years

[@HarryRiceHockey]

I've been in love with Sprong's offensive game for about 4 years now, really happy to see him get one of these types of videos even if it does showcase how bad his defensive game can be lol.

[@1pbdecoded1pb]

Kyle Dubas should have signed Sprong. Dubas made all bad decisions. Sprong's contract: 1 year at $2 million. Way to go Dubas. Nice stats in the video. I was right about wanting former UFA Sprong back to the Pens and your excellent video reinforced statistically what I already knew without knowing. Again, way to go Dubas.

[@Wladyslaw.Malenko]

Great breakdown. Would be idea if mentioned if the points/60 is normalized for even strength. If straight up points/60 is used, it heavily skews in favor of players with high PP time. Massive disadvantage to big PK players. Overall, amazing analysis. That's a problem he's had his entire career.

[@davewylie654]

He had a dandy a few nights ago while falling down he let one go top corner while almost in the "superman" pose wrote this before i saw its in this video

[@elliot3292]

favourite player during his short time in Washington. Always knew he was the goat

[@jakehernandez9769]

This is a awesome breakdown and I completely agree. It’s almost like it’s the video game and your player is a 95 offense 70 defense maybe 65 lol. I’m still taking that dude for sure

[@RaulSanchez777]

Very interesting and well done. His time in Washington was also very much the same. Great shot but a liability on defense

[@poirucan]

Thought i had a michael bisping video running in the background when the video started lol

[@Owlsinmotion]

Ding Dong, it’s Daniel Sprong! Of all the off season moves Seattle made, losing Sprong was the greatest question mark and probably one of the reasons for the Kraken’s diminished offensive production. But now I see what Hakstol and Francis might have seen. Kraken last year combatted their subpar defense by being the leader in 5on5 goals.

[@114MrCool]

Loved him on the caps I never understood why he doesn’t get more ice time

[@R0gueMartian]

Still hurts we let him go from Seattle. Was one of my favorite players. So underrated

[@traaaaan]

He was fun on the caps

[@TQuong]

Unsurprising seeing as hes on his 5th team already at 26 years old and when you consider his scouting reports have read like this since before he was in the league "While Sprong has shown he is probably one of the biggest offensive threats in this years draft, arrogance and self-importance have brought up as some questionable personality traits for this youngster" Also this Per The Athletic: "His teammates weren’t particularly enamored with his personality after Sprong was drafted in the second round in 2015. In fact, he was forced to take an Uber from his Pittsburgh hotel to training camp in Cranberry Township on a daily basis in 2015 because some of his veteran teammates didn’t take kindly to him." Seems like he could be a really good player with a little more maturity and discipline in the defensive zone.

[@thatonelonghairedguy764]

Sprong has been a beast w the Wings

[@LikeablePuppet]

This is actually a wild stat.

[@Nikkerman]

As a Caps fan I really miss him to this day, especially now that goals are a big problem for the team

[@connorroestel784]

Gonna say this. Loved him when he was with Seattle, we never should have let him go.

[@MattBernardTunes]

Watched him play for the Charlottetown Islanders. Sprong was the only player on the ice I knew would make it to the big league

[@seanmorrison5522]

That’s thick Ilya

[@ryanAsachs]

It’s actually kinda insane how many points he puts up with such little ice time

[@humblelad]

man I really want to extend him on the Wings but this guy's probably gonna get paid

[@jeremycoyle2782]

They have to keep him he's too good.

[@derekdixon7731]

Spronger is a hidden boss, gem on any team. #LGRW

[@tommyjones516]

as a caps fan i was so pissed when they let him go

[@mashmarttv]

Anyone who tries to say spong isn’t a strong player or is too small/weak for the NHL needs to be shown this video.. hi to mountain and jim if you see this ..its shadow ...dont be suprise if they make the playoff from a comeback end season..

[@Wayf4rer]

Detroit got a gem, meanwhile Tampa signed Sheary for the same price who has a grand total of 1 goal. Just awful.

[@GWh135]

I still don’t understand why he’s still playing for Tampa. Jon Cooper needs to scratch him and BriseBois needs to get rid of him.

[@WilSexton]

Coming from a die hard wings fan, if Spronger could work on his defensive capabilities, he would EASILY be a top 6 guy for literally any team in this league. His shot is wicked and hes got good IQ. Dont forget he does get actually a very decent amount of time on the PP and will be getting more with Larkin out for about 2 weeks.

[@BeerandCheez]

Great analysis, and I think this in contrast shows flaws in what we as fans normally expect to see out of players. Bottom 6 players are traditionally always thought of as defensive, shut-down players, while guys on the top line are often thought of as flashy, offensive players that can't find the defensive zone. Truth is, it's a lot more complicated than that; most top line players HAVE to be good at both in this day and age, and there are plenty of guys now in the bottom 6 that are there for depth scoring against weaker players. Sprong's play is evidence to that. Additionally, one of the most common critiques I see from fans are line decisions by coaches - I think largely because it's the "easiest" thing to talk about as a fan when a team is having a hard time. A lot of fans will point to the stats of a player like Sprong and say "why aren't the coaches playing him in a bigger role? Are they stupid?" When in reality, good defense is MUCH harder to nail down by a stat or two compared to offense, and can be masked much harder by things like teammates or a great goalie.

[@jeremycoyle2782]

He is great, don't know why the Kraken let him go. Good observation on his poor defensive play, but a guy with that talent and skating speed can learn how to be better on defence. A real find for the Red Wings.

[@kaprizovis34]

And he has elite sty with the tinted visor

[@FirstTheGameCenter]

Got a sprong autograph on a hat when I was like 10 when he was playing with islanders. He was the highest pick on the team so I always payed attention to his career. Also he was the only one to not make scribbles and just wrote sprong 11 so it’s the only one I knew Ahhaha

[@kenmoulton5221]

Sprong is sheltered playing on the 4th line, but doesn't translate on the 3rd of 2nd lines because he's not a complete player and can get away with minor blunders. Highly skilled and should, imo, stay on the 4th and run a full bench rotation vs a traditional 4th line utilization. Should also note, if you look at line combinations ranked by points per 60, the top ones in the league are generally 2nd and 3rd line pairings and that's due to the top lines playing against a higher skill. Sprong's a guy that is taking advantage of his higher skill vs competition and I'm all here for it

[@jeremyhoffman3131]

Not taking anything away from the guys talent, but he has yet to play an entire season which won’t change this year, though he’s not missing by much. So lets reel back the comparisons to all these greats around him on that list, especially considering that if any one of the guys he’s around played 4th line minutes, their points over 60 would look inhuman, and if he was getting consistent top line minutes, he wouldn’t even sniff the ranking he has. Dude currently has 1 point in his last 8 games

[@Cerekote]

Wait I actually remember this guy in the 2015 draft. He was supposed to go within I think the top 20 but ended up dropping down all the way to the 46th. I remember rumblings that year where they didn't like what they heard during the interviews. It was a bit of a head scratcher at this time.

[@user-sw7ob2zk7p]

I was wondering why you skipped over Matthew Tkachuk for Elias Petterson, then i saw ur Channel name LOL

[@CunuckHockey]

Haha it wasn't intentional. I didn't want to repeat each name until we got down to Sprong so I skipped a bunch of names, not just Tkachuk (I'm actually a big Tkachuk fan lmao)

[@Peccs91]

So basically Daniel Sprong is me in beer league. Great shot, but doesn't exactly try too hard if he doesn't have the puck. New favorite player lol. Good breakdown.

[@brandonhall9959]

So what we are saying is, if we could somehow get sprong to give any bit of a shit defensivly, he could be one of the best forwards in the league? Love the vid, its truely an intriguing take.

[@tkdkid8393]

Are you in the loudoun u14s?

[@jonathanvanessen5438]

Spring is a offensive Dutch machine

[@rielbignell30]

Sprong has some of the best stick specs of all time bro

[@RedhawksReport]

very interesting. He's a very niche player. nowadays the best skilled offensive players are also solid defensively.

[@ashtonl5010]

I started cheering for Sprong when he was on the caps only cause I thought he had a funny name, been cheering for him since haha