Detroit Red Wings: 3 players who will make biggest impact in first year

Detroit Red Wings can deploy Daniel Sprong in beneficial situations.

There may be a hitch to this one, but the Detroit Red Wings have the potential to use Daniel Sprong effectively and capitalize in 2023-24. The Red Wings signed him to a one-year deal after a very productive tenure in Seattle, where the Kraken figured out the best ways to use him and found an efficient level of production from the winger.

The holdup comes with the off-ice drama. There was an incident involving Sprong, who was reported to have assaulted a former IndyCar driver. There has not been much new information released, nor has Sprong or the Red Wings addressed the situation publicly.

So that remains a question mark as the Red Wings return to the ice. But as of now, nothing seems to be reported regarding Sprong being absent from training camp and the Red Wings roster. There’s a big season ahead for Sprong if he can settle in as a producer in the Red Wings offense once again.

Sprong makes his money in the offensive zone with some serious gaps in his game defensively. However, if the Red Wings can blend him into the offensive zone and maximize his opportunities on the offensive half of the ice, good things should happen for him.

In 2022-23, Sprong played in 66 games with 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 total points with the Kraken. They cracked the code on utilizing Sprong and reaped the benefits, even on less ice time than he had seen in prior years.

If Sprong can join the Red Wings and provide a similar output as he did in Seattle last season, he could be a real asset for Detroit. The Red Wings should learn from Seattle and ensure that they similarly use Sprong.