Seattle now has 12 picks in NHL Draft this summer (July 7 and 8) and 13 more selections in 2023. The current nine Kraken draft choices in 2024 makes it 34 in the next three summers.
Sprong was Pittsburgh's first draft choice in 2015 with the team having traded away its first rounder. Sprong, a playoffs star in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, impressed the Penguins enough to make the opening-night roster that fall. He played 18 NHL games that season and 24 more over the next two seasons, mostly playing for his QMJHL team and Pittsburgh's American Hockey League Wilkes-Barre/Scranton affiliate, where he made the 2018 AHL All-Star Team.
In December 2018, Sprong was traded to Anaheim, where he scored 14 goals in 47 games over the rest of the season. At the 2020 Trade Deadline, Sprong was traded a second time, going to the Capitals. He scored 13 goals in 42 games for Washington last season.
"Daniel brings some speed and creativity to our roster," said Kraken GM Ron Francis. "We're looking forward to adding him to our team."
Johansson played top-line minutes for the Kraken, plus regular work on the first-unit power play when he was in the lineup. He scored six goals and added 17 assists, many of the latter were highlight-reel caliber.
Johansson was drafted by the Capitals (first round, 24th overall) and played his first seven NHL seasons in D.C. He registered his 400th career NHL point in a March 12 road win over Montreal. He is the 13th Swedish-born player to reach the milestone and the 12th member of the 2009 NHL Draft class (first round, 24th overall) to do the same.
Johansson's consistency as a center and wing who can fit into top-six or bottom-six lines no doubt drew interest in the trade market
This is the fourth time Johansson has been traded and second at the trade deadline. He was moved to Boston his 2019 postseason performance (four goals, seven assists in 22 games) with Eastern Conference champion Boston clearly caught his first NHL team's attention.
