Prospect Info: 2022 8OA, Marco Kasper

[Filppula]

his line was buzzing all night. He had a good game

He played a great game. Absolutely no complaints.

 

[wingerdinger]

This team really needs to play a couple of shit defensive team so they can get some of these guys rolling.

 

[schuelma24]

This team really needs to play a couple of shit defensive team so they can get some of these guys rolling.

Ducks and Sharks on the horizon..if that doesn't get them going, nothing will

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Is Kasper good or is everyone else so shit he looks "good"? He definitely can't score at all.

 

[Oddbob]

No complaints at all? Really? Chances are great, but are ultimately useless when almost nothing goes in. I thought he had a good game against the NYR, but chances need to be buried and pts on the board at some point. This goes for the whole team last night. We wasted way too many top end chances, in the only game where we had a good amount of them.

 

[schuelma24]

No complaints at all? Really? Chances are great, but are ultimately useless when almost nothing goes in. I thought he had a good game against the NYR, but chances need to be buried and pts on the board at some point. This goes for the whole team last night. We wasted way too many top end chances, in the only game where we had a good amount of them.

That's fair, but in contrast to the rest of the roster, he's 20 years old and in his 11th NHL game. If he plays like this, I'm confident the points will come.

 

[DTR]

Lalonde is coaching the offense out of Kasper.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Kasper looks very good, people just lose any ability to judge things objectively when the team loses a few games.

 

[dragonballgtz]

Lalonde is coaching the offense out of Kasper.

He's coaching the offense out of everyone besides the first line and Kane.

 

[HisNoodliness]

Kasper looks very good, people just lose any ability to judge things objectively when the team loses a few games.

I don't think anyone advocating for sending him down think he looks bad. He definitely looks good. Is he one of our twelve best forwards? Absolutely. He's probably like our fifth or sixth best (Larkin, Raymond, 'Cat, Kane are the top 4).

The problem is that he isn't producing. Maybe he's just snake bit. I'm worried that he's going to develop into a pure defensive forward if this keeps up for too long. Personally, I'd send him down to GR with the directions "you're an NHL player. You deserve to be up. If we were okay with just an NHL player, you'd be staying on the team. We want to make you into an NHL star. Practice being a star at the AHL level for a bit. When we call you back up, and we will call you up soon, we're expecting you to score more."

(FWIW, I don't expect Kasper to be a star, but I want him to be a productive 2C if we can make that happen. So let's get him motivated to be more than the defensive 3C he is right now).

 

[OldnotDeadWings]

I wasn't sure where he was ultimately going to end up as: was he going to just be his floor of a physical, shutdown depth C, like a John Madden or Craig Conroy. Was he going to be more of an agitating pest who was better served with less responsibilities and play more into his in-your-face style like a bigger Marchand, or Bertuzzi? Or was he going to be something else?

From the brief handful of games at the pro level: he's something else. He has been tossed into a 2/3 C role, and really the absolutely best thing for DET, is that they can move Copp and Compher together and not utterly wreck the other line. But the kid has been asked to step in and at no point in this run have I been like "Oh, he's in way over his head". He has not looked out of place at all taking Middle 6 C responsibility at all. What is clear is that he is absolutely supposed to be a Center in the league. He puck pursuit and pressure deep in the zone, and net front is really noticeable. His speed and skating to get north south and back into the middle of the defensive zone is also really solid.

So where's the offensive upside? I think its there for a couple of reasons. He does what all good centers do, he makes his wingers look more dangerous which I can absolutely say that Burger is buzzing a lot more with Kasper than I've seen him outside of the hot run from a season and half ago with Copp. Similarly, despite thinking Tarasenko is literally the deadest of weight, he looks "more dangerous" since being moved to Kasper. I don't think he's trying any harder and playing any differently, but Kasper is getting him the puck at better times in motion or in space. The other major point here is that Kasper looked better in the AHL offensively. Weird, I know. But he always has kind of played a...meat and potatoes game. Not a lot of flash to it but effective and to the point. A lot of the more higher skill moves he pulled off in the AHL, I haven't seen him even attempt yet. I think he is just trying to keep things very simple and fundamental. Sound hockey, and not making any unnecessary moves. The guy will open up more and more as he gets more comfortable and you'll begin to see some of his offense. But I would expect for the more immediate future for him to get on the sheet grinding around the crease and cleaning up rebounds. That does not mean he's not capable. Know that Kasper is a lot more Kesler and than he is Copp.

Can't be more excited about this kid

Great post. The team is a little better with Kasper than it would be without him, but I think a lot of people have trouble with the idea that a rookie C might score only 15-20 points, but still have a good season and be a net-positive for the team. As long as he is the team's best option at 3C my vote is that he stays up. The team has been built, or at least temporarily constructed, to push for a playoff spot. Removing one of the better players this early in the season would be the wrong message for this group.

What also though has to be accepted is that the NHL season is not static, things can change for the better or worse very quickly. Kasper cutting corners or slacking off in some ways defensively because he feels under pressure or puts pressure on himself to produce points and wants more opportunities to do that would have me wanting him sent down ASAP. Getting two assists on goals that either bounced in or should have been stopped while contributing in real ways to being a minus-3 is not progress. Everyone wants him to be more productive but the road to doing that shouldn't be trying to take short-cuts. To his credit he does not look at all like a guy who would do that.

There's probably a long road ahead for Kasper regardless of where he plays this year. He looks to me very much like other first-rounders who didn't put it all together until they were 23-25yo., like Bennett, Miller, Kesler, etc,, all of whom had to figure out how to incorporate their physical/defensive game into also becoming more productive. How they developed and what they learned vs. NHL competition was a lot more important than how prepared they were when they started. I'd rather Kasper get started on his NHL education now than put it off for a year.

 

[Frk It]

I don't think anyone advocating for sending him down think he looks bad. He definitely looks good. Is he one of our twelve best forwards? Absolutely. He's probably like our fifth or sixth best (Larkin, Raymond, 'Cat, Kane are the top 4).

The problem is that he isn't producing. Maybe he's just snake bit. I'm worried that he's going to develop into a pure defensive forward if this keeps up for too long. Personally, I'd send him down to GR with the directions "you're an NHL player. You deserve to be up. If we were okay with just an NHL player, you'd be staying on the team. We want to make you into an NHL star. Practice being a star at the AHL level for a bit. When we call you back up, and we will call you up soon, we're expecting you to score more."

(FWIW, I don't expect Kasper to be a star, but I want him to be a productive 2C if we can make that happen. So let's get him motivated to be more than the defensive 3C he is right now).

At the end of the day you either have the goods or you don’t.

 

[Retire91]

He will figure it out, what makes me feel that way is he is noticeable out there. If he was invisible then I would be worried. He needs more games and probably better linemates. He plays in the roster area right now where the talent falls off a cliff. The points will come. I would actually love it if they played him with Kane more. I think he could learn a ton from playing with him.

 

[Pavels Dog]

The problem is that he isn't producing. Maybe he's just snake bit. I'm worried that he's going to develop into a pure defensive forward if this keeps up for too long.

If he had a couple of random assists no one would complain. That wouldn’t mean he’s actually creating more offense though. Berggren is one of the most snakebit players in the league, and Tarasenko isn’t lighting it up either, which impacts why Kasper doesn’t have 3-4 points (= ”producing”). Imo production isn’t as meaningful as what’s actually being created. Kasper is chipping in offensive plays and the points will come.

 

[better Red than Dead]

I would rather he gets sent down so as not to turn him into another Joe Veleno

 

[HisNoodliness]

At the end of the day you either have the goods or you don’t.

That's totally true. I'm still hopeful though.

 

[JediOrderPizza]

First we were pissed he wasn't on the team, now he looks like he belongs and we want to send him down? K.

 

[Gniwder]

First we were pissed he wasn't on the team, now he looks like he belongs and we want to send him down? K.

The people that want him sent down weren't pissed he wasn't on the team. His lack of goal scoring was easily predictable. His lack of assists is on his linemates.

I would rather he gets sent down so as not to turn him into another Joe Veleno

Joe can shoot, he just has no clue where he's supposed to be. Kasper can't shoot.

 

[lilidk]

Detroit is currently bottom 5 in offense. Why would Detroit move a guy who doesn't seem to be able to score at the NHL level to the top line? To score even less goals?

Kasper doesn't need to take draws , he loosing more than 50%, when he plays with Larkin. Kasper will bring physicality and make Larkin job easier. He also learned more while playing with Larkin and Raymond. It's good for his future, for his development.

 

[lilidk]

Is Kasper good or is everyone else so shit he looks "good"? He definitely can't score at all.

Only first line scores

 

[Oddbob]

Honest question. How many star players start their careers with only 1 pt in their first 10 games? I venture to guess, not many. There are lots of players who look good but don't produce.

Not giving up on him or saying he won't become a star, but his start is not promising at all from an offensive stand point.

 

[Gniwder]

Detroit is currently bottom 5 in offense.

Wow, third worst G/G and second worst shots per game.

Burger actually has the 4th highest SOG on the team at 27, maybe they should put someone that can score on Kasper's wing.

 

[Shaman464]

Kasper doesn't need to take draws , he loosing more than 50%, when he plays with Larkin. Kasper will bring physicality and make Larkin job easier. He also learned more while playing with Larkin and Raymond. It's good for his future, for his development.

I don't see his offense being anywhere near good enough to justify him being on the first line. He will be an anchor.

 

[izlez]

Wow, third worst G/G and second worst shots per game.

Burger actually has the 4th highest SOG on the team at 27, maybe they should put someone that can score on Kasper's wing.

Tarasenko?

 

[ShakenNotStirred]

He is exactly as advertised.

It's not like he's some 6OA mouthing off about filling nets with pucks and then completely pooping the bed. He was drafted to be a menace, AND HE IS.

I like the direction the team is heading and I hope we start stacking bodies because that's the type of players we need when we eventually make the playoffs.