Pettersson, Sprong both happy with trade

From the moment it was hatched, regardless of who or what the Penguins received in return, it was destined to be known as "the Daniel Sprong Trade" in Pittsburgh.

Whether the Dec. 3 deal goes down in franchise annals like Markus Naslund for Alek Stojanov won't be known for years. But the early indications are that both sides actually won the deal, "a hockey trade," that saw the Penguins ship Sprong -- the top prospect in the organization -- to the Ducks for defenseman Marcus Pettersson.

"We think Marcus is a good young defenseman who's only going to get better," Mike Sullivan said Monday morning at PPG Paints Arena after the skate in advance of facing Anaheim tonight. "And we acknowledge the price we paid to get Marcus: That Daniel is a good shooter and has the ability to score goals, and has a great upside as well. The way I look at it, those trades are great opportunities for both players and both organizations."

In Sprong, the Ducks received a young forward who possesses a lethal release and has shown an uncanny ability to score goals with it.  Since joining the Ducks, he has scored three times in five games.

He's averaging 14:50 in ice time per game and has 15 shots on goal. That compares to 16 shots while averaging 8:34 in 16 games this season in Pittsburgh where he was buried on the depth chart, playing sparingly and only in a bottom-six role.

Two of Sprong's goals, including the game-winner in overtime, came in Saturday night's win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The first was a low-angle shot that he seemed reluctant to take in his short time in Pittsburgh in fear that he'd miss and feed the opponents' transition:

Bad shooting angle?

There's no such thing when @sprong97 has the puck!#LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/dg4FprCO1n

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) December 16, 2018

"When you play a lot, it gives you confidence and you make plays," Sprong told reporters before Monday's game at PPG Paints Arena, where he'll face his former team for the first time. "It just feels good to be out there and try and help the team win. As a person, you get more confidence to make plays. You start believing again in your own strengths and what you can bring to the table."

Though he welcomed the changed of scenery and a chance to play, Sprong says he harbors no ill will toward the team that drafted him in the second round in 2015:

Sprong speaks after Ducks skate. #dkps #penguins pic.twitter.com/00E7e7dLJL

— Chris Bradford (@PghBradford) December 17, 2018

"I don’t think it would be fair to the player to put him into a fourth-line role when he’s provided offense at every other level," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle said of Sprong, who scored 32 goals in 65 AHL games last season. "We’re going to give him an opportunity to see if he can score goals at the NHL level on a consistent basis."

Likewise, Pettersson has also excelled after being given a greater opportunity in Pittsburgh. He's averaging 15:23 per game, an increase over the 13:50 he'd been playing in Anaheim.

In seven games with the Penguins, Pettersson is a plus-3 and has been a mainstay in the lineup while paired with Jack Johnson, the team's biggest free agent signing in the off-season. Though not flashy, Pettersson has been rock solid in his own end and uses his size and reach extremely well.

"I think the style of play suits me very well," Pettersson told me. "I feel like I like to move the puck quickly, and we have so many skilled forwards. Just have to get the puck to them quickly and things will work out."

THE ESSENTIALS

• Media notes

• Team statistics

• NHL scoreboard

• NHL standings

THE INJURIES

• Penguins: Kris Letang, defenseman, is a 'game-time decision,' per Sullivan with a lower body injury sustained Friday. ... Patric Hornqvist, right winger, will miss his fourth straight game with an upper body injury. He skated on his own Monday morning, then stayed in the regular skate in a non-contact sweater. ... Dominik Simon, forward, will miss his fifth game with a lower body injury. He was placed on IR a week ago but Sullivan said that he is now 'week to week.' He skated with Hornqvist this morning. ... Justin Schultz, defenseman, is expected to miss four months after fracturing his leg Oct. 13 in Montreal.

• Ducks: Ryan Miller, goaltender, will miss his third straight game with an MCL sprain that is expected to sideline him for six weeks. ... Rickard Rakell, forward, has missed four games and is out indefinitely with an ankle sprain. ... Cam Fowler, defenseman, has missed the past 15 games with a facial fracture and is out eight weeks. ... Ben Eaves, forward, is out indefinitely with a broken rib. He's missed the past 16 games. ... Corey Perry, forward, is out for five months with a knee injury. ... Korbinian Holzer, defenseman, is out five months with a wrist injury. 

THE SKATE

• After Matt Murray turned in a 35-save performance in Saturday's win over the Kings, Casey DeSmith will make the start in goal. That would put Murray in place to start Wednesday night in Washington against the defending Cup champion Capitals, with DeSmith likely to start the following night vs. the Wild.

With a condensed schedule that has the Penguins playing four games in six nights before the Christmas break, Sullivan said he wanted to spread out the workload and that both Murray and DeSmith will see plenty of action.

• After Tanner Pearson scored against his former team on Saturday, Derek Grant said he'd love to follow suit. This will be Grant's first game against the Ducks, a team for which he scored a career-high dozen goals last season. He says he'll always be grateful to the Ducks organization for giving him a chance. Prior to Anaheim, he played 86 games for four other organizations, recording just seven assists.

"Anytime you get a chance to move up the lineup like that, play different types of minutes, different types of roles, it helps develop your game and gives you confidence wherever you're playing in the lineup," said Grant, who has a pair of goals and three assists in 20 games this season. "It's helped me in a big way."

• The Penguins will get another look at Whitehall native John Gibson, who will be in goal for the Ducks. Gibson has a 3-3 record against his hometown team but has an unsightly 3.73 goals-against average and .889 save percentage. Much of that damage was done earlier in Gibson's career. Anaheim swept the season series last year and Gibson has since emerged as one of the NHL's best young goalies.

"He competes so hard," said Sidney Crosby. "He's a big guy, but I think he doesn't give up on many plays. Even when he's scrambling, he finds a way to make saves."

THE OTHER SIDE

• The Ducks' minus-9 goal-differential is the highest for any team currently in a playoff position. They are 18-11-5 and are riding a five-game road winning streak. Despite that and a lengthy injury list, Carlyle said he likes his team's perseverance.

"(We) do what it takes to win hockey games," he said. "There isn't artistic points given for wins and losses. You find a way to get points, find a way to win."

• Carter Rowney, who contributed three assists in 20 playoff games during the Penguins' run to the 2017 Cup, will make his first trip back to Pittsburgh with his new team. Rowney, who signed a three-year, $3.4 million contract with Anaheim in free agency last summer, did not speak with reporters. He has five points (two goals, three assists) in 14 games this season.

• Another former Penguin, Brian Gibbons, will return to the lineup after being scratched the previous two games.