Now, before you all blow a gasket and tell me how ridiculous this proposal is, think about it. Take a look at our team and what their weaknesses are. I realize Sproul's defensive game is far from NHL ready, but given his toolset I think, outside of trading for a top defenseman, he can provide the biggest positive impact to the team (the powerplay in particular). As long as his defensive inefficiencies can be hidden to some degree on the third unit and he can be utilized as a powerplay specialist.
He's big, right-handed, and has an absolute rocket of a shot (easily NHL caliber). He also loves to shoot the puck and, while it's a junior league, is absolutely dominant on the powerplay.
Then there is the immediate impact Hamilton is providing for Boston (who has very similar numbers, is a similar age, etc.). Even though Hamilton is a far higher pick, and has a more rounded game, I think Sproul is the kind of player who can handle being called up the NHL at a young age. Just my opinion.
In the end I highly doubt it will happen as it clearly isn't the Wing's style. But I think it would be a big success if they were to give him a shot.
Of course, there may be other reasons that I'm overlooking as to why this will not happen (contract status, contract cost implications, RFA status, etcetera). Just a thought I had, curious what you guys think...
Now, before you all blow a gasket and tell me how ridiculous this proposal is, think about it. Take a look at our team and what their weaknesses are. I realize Sproul's defensive game is far from NHL ready, but given his toolset I think, outside of trading for a top defenseman, he can provide the biggest positive impact to the team (the powerplay in particular). As long as his defensive inefficiencies can be hidden to some degree on the third unit and he can be utilized as a powerplay specialist.
He's big, right-handed, and has an absolute rocket of a shot (easily NHL caliber). He also loves to shoot the puck and, while it's a junior league, is absolutely dominant on the powerplay.
Then there is the immediate impact Hamilton is providing for Boston (who has very similar numbers, is a similar age, etc.). Even though Hamilton is a far higher pick, and has a more rounded game, I think Sproul is the kind of player who can handle being called up the NHL at a young age. Just my opinion.
In the end I highly doubt it will happen as it clearly isn't the Wing's style. But I think it would be a big success if they were to give him a shot.
Of course, there may be other reasons that I'm overlooking as to why this will not happen (contract status, contract cost implications, RFA status, etcetera). Just a thought I had, curious what you guys think...
Love the idea but Holland is not going to lose a single year of keeping him from getting an NHL salary until he's completely out of options and would have to face waivers before being sent down. The Wings way is to extend the development point to get as many years out of him as possible before he hits UFA.
A much more practical approach IMO would be to try to acquire the rights to Lubomir Visnovsky.
I understand it even said it is a way to fix the power play in another thread. But while his offensive game is actually exactly on par with Hamilton with more goals, he does have defensive work to do. Not against seeing what he can do, but guessing if they dip into the call up a major junior player it will be Ouellet as his game is basically NHL ready.
I think it's going to take a 15 or more disappointing games before the team starts making major shake ups like a move of this caliber.
Which is totally fair and level-headed. You have to give this patchwork roster time to figure it out. The current Wings are lumped together with 9 other teams. After 5 games, the only thing we know for sure is St. Louis, San Jose, and Chicago are still kinda good. Everybody else, meh, who knows.
I would rather not destroy the guy's confidence. The NHL is already tough, throwing him with a Quincey or Smith isn't going to do any wonders for him.
I would like to add, I do think his presence could be greatly beneficial, but it's a double edged sword. That's why I think it would be good to hold off for the time being.
Agreed. It's always good to wait a few days before calling. Don't want to seem desperate.
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But I didn't think the rules allowed us to call him up once the "5 game" trial had passed? Or that he had to stay with his CHL team for the full season if they weren't on the call up list?
They can play him 5 games (typically 9) before it counts as year off his ELC. They can actually hold onto these kids for 20 games before returning them to Juniors, it just still counts as year to the NHL. It is strange to see it happen, I think Sbisa when he went to the Ducks after playing a whole year with the Flyers and was sent back to the WHL in Portland the next year was the most interesting case I have seen. Not sure how that worked. Very unusual for teams to burn the year and not just keep the player, but technically they could keep him for 20 games and I don't think that number has been reduced and still send him back.
Now, before you all blow a gasket and tell me how ridiculous this proposal is, think about it. Take a look at our team and what their weaknesses are. I realize Sproul's defensive game is far from NHL ready, but given his toolset I think, outside of trading for a top defenseman, he can provide the biggest positive impact to the team (the powerplay in particular). As long as his defensive inefficiencies can be hidden to some degree on the third unit and he can be utilized as a powerplay specialist.
He's big, right-handed, and has an absolute rocket of a shot (easily NHL caliber). He also loves to shoot the puck and, while it's a junior league, is absolutely dominant on the powerplay.
Then there is the immediate impact Hamilton is providing for Boston (who has very similar numbers, is a similar age, etc.). Even though Hamilton is a far higher pick, and has a more rounded game, I think Sproul is the kind of player who can handle being called up the NHL at a young age. Just my opinion.
In the end I highly doubt it will happen as it clearly isn't the Wing's style. But I think it would be a big success if they were to give him a shot.
Of course, there may be other reasons that I'm overlooking as to why this will not happen (contract status, contract cost implications, RFA status, etcetera). Just a thought I had, curious what you guys think...
I think you countered your own point pretty well in that bolded piece.
If they were just looking for some big righthanded power play guy that can't play defense, they could have signed Kurtis Foster.
The whole power play is broken. It's been broken for years. There's nothing that a guy like Sproul is going to be able to do that will save it. They need to fix the entire scheme - they realized this and brought in Renney to do just that.
Either Renney is completely incompetent, or the new system hasn't had time to sink in yet, or the players are not responding in any way to coaching. They tell the papers all the things they need to do to fix it, and then they go out in the games and don't do any of those things.
Sproul is not the answer right now, and the holes in his defensive game would only make things worse in the 5 on 5 game.
A 20 year old Sproul isn't going to save the Wings. I have faith in him, but would rather not destroy his confidence as others have said by putting unrealistic expectations on him and then have him fail. I don't want to mortgage this team's future so we can be a pseudo contender for another year.
Now, before you all blow a gasket and tell me how ridiculous this proposal is, think about it. Take a look at our team and what their weaknesses are. I realize Sproul's defensive game is far from NHL ready, but given his toolset I think, outside of trading for a top defenseman, he can provide the biggest positive impact to the team (the powerplay in particular). As long as his defensive inefficiencies can be hidden to some degree on the third unit and he can be utilized as a powerplay specialist.
He's big, right-handed, and has an absolute rocket of a shot (easily NHL caliber). He also loves to shoot the puck and, while it's a junior league, is absolutely dominant on the powerplay.
Then there is the immediate impact Hamilton is providing for Boston (who has very similar numbers, is a similar age, etc.). Even though Hamilton is a far higher pick, and has a more rounded game, I think Sproul is the kind of player who can handle being called up the NHL at a young age. Just my opinion.
In the end I highly doubt it will happen as it clearly isn't the Wing's style. But I think it would be a big success if they were to give him a shot.
Of course, there may be other reasons that I'm overlooking as to why this will not happen (contract status, contract cost implications, RFA status, etcetera). Just a thought I had, curious what you guys think...
