Ryan Getzlaf and Jakob Silfverberg are out with the flu and Rickard Rakell has an upper-body injury, paving the way for Sprong to appear in his 90th career NHL game on Sunday. The 22-year-old has 18 points (7G / 11A) in 24 AHL games this season and had 19 points (14G / 5A) in 47 NHL games last year.
Sprong, 21, was a second-round pick (No.46 overall) in 2015 but has had a difficult time getting his legs under him in Pittsburgh. After torching the AHL for 32 goals and 33 assists (65 points) in 65 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL), Sprong picked up just four assists in 16 games with the Penguins this year. He had a hard time breaking into the Penguins top-6 and wasn’t as effective in the bottom-6. Sprong has a chance to play top-6 minutes in Anaheim, making him worthy of a speculative waiver add.
Sprong was in the lineup for the last two games, but will be replaced by Sidney Crosby on Wednesday. Sprong has torched the AHL throughout his career, but has just four assists in 14 games with Pittsburgh this season.
Sprong dominated the AHL last season, collecting 32 goals and 33 assists (65 points) in 65 games before being called-up by the Penguins. After arriving in the NHL, he had two goals and one assist in eight games. Sprong has been great at lower-levels but it hasn’t translated into NHL success yet.
Sprong missed the last game because of a VISA issue and will be a healthy scratch tonight with Pascal Dupuis ready to return to the lineup.
Sprong is stuck in Canada trying to extend his work VISA so he will be held out of tonight’s game vs. the Panthers. Unless Pascal Dupuis makes a surprise return to the lineup, look for him to be replaced by Bobby Farnham.
