Jonathan Drouin and Daniel Sprong share something in common. They both had to return to junior hockey rather than going to the more developmentally appropriate AHL. One team has handled the situation poorly while one can learn from the other's mistakes.
Jonathan Drouin’s next move will determine how ugly this situation gets: https://t.co/Vp1Ph6kCFS @reporterchris pic.twitter.com/D4F6SMRGaM
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 4, 2016
When dirty laundry gets aired in public like this it's natural to wonder how it could have been avoided. As in: Why did this relationship get so strained?In truth, the cracks started forming months after Drouin was selected third overall at the 2013 draft. Had the Lightning been able to assign him to the AHL at the end of his first pro training camp, rather than being forced to send him back to junior, we'd arguably be in a different position today.
Drouin already had a 105-point season under his belt at that point and had won a Memorial Cup with the Halifax Mooseheads. There was nothing left for him to prove in the QMJHL, but it was the only place outside the NHL the rules permitted him to play.
Even though he would go on to produce another 108 points for Halifax in 2013-14, some inside the Lightning organization worried that he was developing bad habits in a league where he rarely had to play without the puck.
It was almost always on his stick.
Now the suggestion here isn't that Daniel Sprong is going to eventually be upset and demand a trade out of Pittsburgh. Instead it highlights why the Penguins wanted to keep Sprong up in the NHL despite not receiving any playing time. Out of the three leagues that comprise the CHL (OHL, WHL, QMJHL) the QMJHL is probably the one that does the least for player development.
Sprong himself even admitted that the QMJHL is not systematic/organized hockey. This of course is the opposite of what he needs at this point.
Keeping Sprong past the 9 game tryout period was fine. Starting Sprong's entry-level contract is not going to hurt the team that much. Keeping Sprong past the 40 game mark, which would have shaved two years off from his UFA age, is the one they needed to avoid and did.
Since being sent back to the QMJHL he has six goals and one assist in four games with the latest goal being a game winner in overtime. He is also playing on one of the worst teams in the QMJHL.
@GunnerStaal Like Sprong situation. Knock against him was defense, and going to a bad jr team to carry offense will only make habits worse.
— Ryan Mance (@Mance_22) January 4, 2016
The trouble for the Pittsburgh Penguins wasn't this year, but next year. What happens if Daniel Sprong still isn't ready for NHL action? This is something that is still possible. The situation next year will be the same as this year, NHL or the QMJHL.
Sprong has experienced all the fine luxuries that come with being an NHL player: the money, the planes, the per diem money, and competing at the highest level. It would only be natural for him to be extremely disappointed/upset if he had to do it all again in 2016-17.
The CHL transfer agreement laid the foundation for the Drouin situation in Tampa to go south. It certainly wasn't the only reason for the eventual trade request, but it played a large enough role.
Pittsburgh can't do anything about the agreement in place and have openly admitted to wanting Sprong in the AHL this season. The Penguins can however do their best with what they can control.
The trick for Pittsburgh in dealing with Daniel Sprong will be giving him a fair shake at playing in the NHL. Tampa Bay did a terrible job with this by consistently playing unskilled grinders in front of Drouin when he was clearly playing at an NHL level.
Drouin's tied with Henrik Sedin, Pavel Datsyk, Jake Voracek, and Jordan Eberle in rate of production at 5v5 since entering the league.
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) January 2, 2016
While it may not be likely that Daniel Sprong's situation turns out like Jonathan Drouin the Penguins can observe from a distance and learn from Tampa Bay's handling of Drouin so it definitely does not happen to them in Pittsburgh.
Thanks for reading!