A familiar face is returning to the Seattle Kraken. Daniel Sprong has been traded to the Kraken from the Vancouver Canucks for future considerations. He spent two seasons in Seattle before signing with the Detroit Red Wings. After a season with them, he signed in Vancouver, where he played in nine games.
Sprong’s return to Seattle brings up some interesting conversation, revolving around the salary cap.
Sprong’s Time in Seattle
Sprong joined the Kraken towards the end of the 2021-22 NHL season. He was traded by the Washington Capitals on March 21, 2022, as well as a fourth-round draft pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a sixth-round draft pick in 2023. In return, the Capitals received Marcus Johansson from the Kraken.
Sprong played in 16 games for the Kraken during the 2021-22 season. He scored six goals, earning him a total of six points during his first season in Kraken colors.
During the 2022-23 season, he played in his first, and only, full-time season as a Kraken. Sprong played in 66 games during this season. He scored 21 goals and earned 25 assists, for a total of 46 points. He played on the fourth line with Ryan Donato and Morgan Geekie. All three players ended up being traded after this season.
Sprong Heads to the Red Wings
On July 1, 2023, Sprong became an unrestricted free agent (UFA). He was picked up by the Detroit Red Wings, where he signed a one-year, $2 million contract.
Related: Canucks Trade Daniel Sprong to the Kraken for Future Considerations
He played in 76 games with the Red Wings, scoring a total of 18 goals. On top of that, he amassed 25 assists, for a total of 43 points in the 2023-24 season. Earning only three fewer points than in his time with Seattle while playing in ten more games, it was slightly surprising that he didn’t perform better. His time in Detroit did not last long.
Sprong Moves to Vancouver
Again, Sprong became a UFA at the end of the 2023-24 season. On July 20, 2024, he signed with the Vancouver Canucks with a $975,000 contract.
Sprong played in nine games with Vancouver. He only scored one goal and tallied two assists, for a total of three points in the season so far. His short stint with Vancouver was hopefully just a warm-up as he gets ready to join his former team again.
What This Means for the Kraken
Sprong’s style of play is more offensive, which will be beneficial for the Kraken as they are currently lacking in this department. With the Kraken currently struggling to score, his attack style of play will hopefully help Seattle get on the scoreboard more often.
With the Kraken picking up Sprong’s contract, it leaves little room for cap space. With Vince Dunn still on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), there is still space for him on the team. However, with both Sprong and Dunn potentially being able to play on Tuesday, Nov. 12, the Kraken will be over the cap by about $1.5 million.
On top of this, head coach Dan Bylsma has been making plenty of line changes now with the current Kraken roster. With the addition of Sprong, he will have to find a spot for him on the forward lines. With an already full roster of forwards, it is unclear what the Kraken will do next.
Does this mean that the Kraken have another trade in the cards? Perhaps they will send another forward down to the Coachella Valley Firebirds to sharpen their skills a little more? Regardless, general manager Ron Francis has some thinking to do on the next course of action for the team.
