It's official: Daniel Sprong won't be returning to the NHL in the 2025-26 season, and certainly won't be returning to the New Jersey Devils.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Sprong, 28, signed a one-year deal with KHL outfit CSKA Moscow, temporarily ending what has been a tumultuous NHL career for the Dutch forward thus far.
The Devils traded a 2026 seventh-round pick for Sprong at the NHL trade deadline with hopes the two-time 40-point-scorer would bolster the offense in the wake of multiple injuries, but he effectively did the opposite.
In 12 total games with the Devils (just one in the playoffs), Sprong picked up two assists and failed to score on any of his 24 shots on goal.
It was only a year ago that Sprong put up 43 points on 12 minutes a night with a not-so-great Detroit Red Wings team, but the 2024-25 season saw Sprong struggle to the tune of just two goals, five assists, and seven points in 30 games for three different teams, including the Devils, abbreviated by an AHL stint and Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Obviously, the Devils and other NHL teams didn't see Sprong as deserving of a tryout or veteran minimum contract, reducing him to a one-year KHL contract for the time being.
Sprong will join a CSKA team that also features talents like Vitaly Abramov, Dmitri Buchelnikov, Kirill Dolzhenkov, Prokhor Poltapov, Devils prospect Artem Barabosha, and former Devils defenseman Nikita Okhotiuk.