RALEIGH, N.C. -- Sinking in the Metropolitan Division and struggling to score, the Penguins recalled forward Daniel Sprong from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday.
The promotion came the day after Sprong recorded his second hat trick of the season in a 5-1 win over Hartford:
Meanwhile, 500 miles to the south, the NHL Penguins fell flat yet again, 2-1, to the Hurricanes.
Despite their wealth of offensive talent, the two-time Stanley Cup defending champions have scored just 106 goals, and their minus-14 goal differential ranks among the bottom half of the league. Sprong should help in that regard.
The Netherlands-born Sprong now has 18 goals in 29 games in the AHL this season. The 20-year-old has an outstanding release and is a good skater but is not particularly strong defensively, as Mike Sullivan acknowledged Friday morning when asked why Sprong hadn't yet been recalled.
"Daniel's a guy that has the ability to score goals, and so there are other aspects of his game that he's continuing to try and work on in order for him to be a more complete player so that when he does become a Pittsburgh Penguin, he has the ability to make a positive impact," Sullivan said.
Sprong appeared in 18 games as an NHL rookie two years ago, scoring two goals, before being returned to Charlottetown in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. While serving as a black ace during the Penguins' 2016 Cup run, Sprong suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery.