The Anaheim Ducks Acquire Daniel Sprong from the Pittsburgh Penguins
By Ciara Durant
Tuesday afternoon, it was confirmed that the Anaheim Ducks had traded defenseman Marcus Pettersson to the Pittsburgh Penguins for young Dutch forward, Daniel Sprong.
For weeks, rumors that the Anaheim Ducks had been in conversation with the Pittsburgh Penguins were flying through the rumor mill. One thing was clear, the Pens were looking for a defenseman.
Speculations started to fly that Brandon Montour, or even Josh Manson, was on the chopping block. However, all of that came to an end Monday afternoon when the Anaheim Ducks confirmed that they had traded Marcus Pettersson to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Daniel Sprong.
Sprong is a young forward from the Netherlands. He has played less than 50 games at the NHL level, only generating 9 total points (4g, 5a.) However, he has taken the AHL by storm.
Last season, in his AHL debut with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, he netted 32 goals with an additional 33 helpers. He proved that he can be a point per game player, generating those points in a total of 65 games.
He has also had tremendous success in the QMJHL. During his 2016-17 season with the Charlottetown Islanders, he had 59 points in 31 games. This included an impressive 32 goals.
In the wake of the news that right wing, Patrick Eaves is suffering the repercussions of a broken rib, it makes sense as to why the Anaheim Ducks would go after such a promising prospect such as Sprong. It is difficult to rely on Eaves due to all of his recent injuries.
It is said that Sprong is a very hard working player, dedicated to his team. He is not content with being stagnant and is always looking to improve his skills. While he is an offensive forward, he is also defensively sound. Those are qualities in a player that the Anaheim Ducks definitely need.
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His on-ice creativity and formidable puck handlings skills will hopefully help in aiding the Ducks in continuing their recent success. He will hopefully also help them solve a few other issues as far as their lack of creativity and their shot deficiencies go.
He should be making his debut as an Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. This morning, during practice, he slotted in at the right wing spot alongside Adam Henrique and Nick Ritchie. Whether he will remain there for tomorrow’s game remains to be seen.
I am excited to see what he can bring to the ice. As far as Marcus Pettersson goes, we wish him all the best in Pittsburgh. Hopefully, he can help solve some of their defensive woes. My only hope for the young defenseman is that the Penguins take good care of him and utilize him properly.
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What do you think about this trade? Did the Ducks make the right move? Let us know!