What Kasper Has to Do to Stay With Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings called up top prospect Marco Kasper and told him to pack for a two-day road trip to Nashville and New York.

Detroit’s fan base would prefer the Red Wings tell him to find a place to live in the Detroit area.

Coach Derek Lalonde said Kasper was brought up because Tyler Motte is dealing with a day-to-day upper body injury and Andrew Copp is still fighting a bug. It sounds temporary, but maybe not.

“Not necessarily one game,” Lalonde said about Kasper’s stay. “I just think it’s a significant role. We’ll see him in our top nine, both special teams. I think there’s a reality of developing on the fly in the NHL but it’s a person that can help us, too. On that cut day, we took only 12 forwards. In reality, if we had the roster space, we could have had 14, maybe even 15 that could help us early.”

Fans wanted the Austrian center to make the team out of training camp because he brings energy to his shifts, and he plays with grit.  Although he hasn’t proven yet he can be an elite scorer, there is hope that he can score enough to develop into a No. 2 NHL center.

“Even in practice today,” Lalonde said. “I’m sure from up top he was noticeable, he’s got some pop with his skating, some high compete, so it makes sense in a lot of ways.”

Breakfast Special

Kasper was eating breakfast when he received to hustle to Detroit for today’s practice.

“Just finished eating breakfast, packed up my stuff, grabbed my bag, got to the rink, drove straight here,” Kasper said.

Presuming he plays Saturday in Nashville, it would not be his NHL debut. Drafted eighth overall pick by the Red Wings in 2022, Kasper made his NHL debut on April 2, 2023 at the Toronto Maple Leafs. He suffered a broken knee cap in the first 10 minutes, but didn’t know it was broken. He finished the game, but didn’t play the last few games of the season.

Kasper played with Jonatan Berggren and Michael Rasmussen in practice. Kasper played with Berggren in the playoffs last season.

“I think Ras can complement anyone because he forechecks, he gets you second touches with pucks, he’ll get the puck for you, he goes to the net, he does some hard things,” Lalonde said. “With Marco, we want to give him an opportunity to succeed. Berggren has been making a lot of plays. I know it hasn’t translated into a lot of offense but he’s been creating some of those chances for. I like the combination of it. But we have the potential with 11 and 7 to get guys throughout. I’m not opposed to getting Marco on the wing at times with some other type players. I think he can generate some energy and touches.”

How Can Kasper Earn Permanent Role?

Kasper gained plenty of confidence from his performance in the preseason.

The fans may want to know what Kasper can do to stay in the NHL as much as Kasper does.

“I still need him to play within himself,” Lalonde said. “Early last year, this was new for him. He tried to do too much. There just wasn’t time and space. Probably what we ask of the other guys – manage your game, don’t turn pucks over, play with energy, get above, be on top. A little help with some forecheck, just some pop in his skating, some energy. We’ll be cautious with how we judge him. This is his second NHL game. Just be himself. Don’t push too much pressure on you, play with energy. I think he’s going to bring that for us.”