Prospect Info: 2022 8OA, Marco Kasper

[SirloinUB]

I did'nt rank them above. I think Kasper is great. I'm just saying other teams don't have nothing.

gotcha. The chain of comments was talking about prospects with higher upside and I wouldn’t put either Hage or Luchenko above Kasper in that regard.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I don’t see Toews whatsoever. Kasper is much more physical, goes into the physical areas much more willingly. Yes they are both good defensively but in different ways. Offensively Kasper is more of a driver whereas Toews was more passive. Many other better comps out there.

Toews was great at center drive and finishing in tight. Toews was exceptional not good at defense, I will say a ton of that did come from being a big faceoff guy. I don’t think he was a better player than Zetterberg (who I do see the Raymond comparisons with) but he has similar size to Kasper and skating.

Toews and Kane were often separated in Chicago outside of PP with Toews as the primary line driver on his line. He put up 54 points as 19 year old rookie then lived in the 50s and 60s territory most of us are talking about Marco hopefully being in.

I am sure there are other comps, but most of what you said about Toews isn’t really how he played the game. Zetterberg giving him trouble in playoff series might have colored this different but he did that to Crosby, Kopitar, Thornton etc through the years. It wasn’t because he was a soft perimeter player. Toews when healthy played a 200 ft heavy correct game with pace.

By the way not an insignificant chance that Toews is one of our bottom six centers next year, I know lots of this board will hate that but I would think with Kane and Debrincat here it is one of his preferred destinations for his comeback.

 

[SirloinUB]

Toews was great at center drive and finishing in tight. Toews was exceptional not good at defense, I will say a ton of that did come from being a big faceoff guy. I don’t think he was a better player than Zetterberg (who I do see the Raymond comparisons with) but he has similar size to Kasper and skating.

Toews and Kane were often separated in Chicago outside of PP with Toews as the primary line driver on his line. He put up 54 points as 19 year old rookie then lived in the 50s and 60s territory most of us are talking about Marco hopefully being in.

I am sure there are other comps, but most of what you said about Toews isn’t really how he played the game. Zetterberg giving him trouble in playoff series might have colored this different but he did that to Crosby, Kopitar, Thornton etc through the years. It wasn’t because he was a soft perimeter player. Toews when healthy played a 200 ft heavy correct game with pace.

By the way not an insignificant chance that Toews is one of our bottom six centers next year, I know lots of this board will hate that but I would think with Kane and Debrincat here it is one of his preferred destinations for his comeback.

I actually like the idea of adding Toews but him Copp and Compher feels like overkill lol

 

[Winger98]

I actually like the idea of adding Toews but him Copp and Compher feels like overkill lol

yeah, adding another center like Toews would have to mean at least one of Copp/Compher are moved. Are we even sure Copp is going to be healthy by the start of next season, though? When it happened, it seemed the recovery time had a pretty big range to it.

 

[newfy]

Toews was great at center drive and finishing in tight. Toews was exceptional not good at defense, I will say a ton of that did come from being a big faceoff guy. I don’t think he was a better player than Zetterberg (who I do see the Raymond comparisons with) but he has similar size to Kasper and skating.

Toews and Kane were often separated in Chicago outside of PP with Toews as the primary line driver on his line. He put up 54 points as 19 year old rookie then lived in the 50s and 60s territory most of us are talking about Marco hopefully being in.

I am sure there are other comps, but most of what you said about Toews isn’t really how he played the game. Zetterberg giving him trouble in playoff series might have colored this different but he did that to Crosby, Kopitar, Thornton etc through the years. It wasn’t because he was a soft perimeter player. Toews when healthy played a 200 ft heavy correct game with pace.

By the way not an insignificant chance that Toews is one of our bottom six centers next year, I know lots of this board will hate that but I would think with Kane and Debrincat here it is one of his preferred destinations for his comeback.

I think Toews was overrated at the time because of how much they won, but he was definitely a legit first, line center. I think if they had all the puck battle winning type advanced stats back then, Toews would have been elite in a lot of that intangible stuff.

Kasper is very unlikely to be as good, but there's some definite similarities there

 

[norrisnick]

yeah, adding another center like Toews would have to mean at least one of Copp/Compher are moved. Are we even sure Copp is going to be healthy by the start of next season, though? When it happened, it seemed the recovery time had a pretty big range to it.

Come the fall it will have been 2 full seasons since he's last played and he'll be 37. Let's let him prove he's more than Veleno with faceoffs before we discard one of the UM twins.

 

[Winger98]

Come the fall it will have been 2 full seasons since he's last played and he'll be 37. Let's let him prove he's more than Veleno with faceoffs before we discard one of the UM twins.

I don't know. I think going into next year we can pencil Kasper into 2C and Ras into 3C. top9 wings are Ray, Debrincat, Soder, probably Kane. After that..Buch? Nate? Mazur? Tank is still signed, and berggren is a RFA. I'd be pretty close to moving Compher regardless, depending on Copp's injury.

If we have the space, I also don't have a problem with having any of them on the fourth line/press box, either. Guess just the optimist in me is hoping Yzerman can pull some other moves out.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I actually like the idea of adding Toews but him Copp and Compher feels like overkill lol

There is a part of me that wants to make that the third/fourth line checking matchup while trading out one of Copp or Compher. Throw Mazur on the wing and just drive first lines nuts. I am not sure how good Toews will be in the comeback but I think he can fall out bed as high 50s draw guy.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

There is a part of me that wants to make that the third/fourth line checking matchup while trading out one of Copp or Compher. Throw Mazur on the wing and just drive first lines nuts. I am not sure how good Toews will be in the comeback but I think he can fall out bed as high 50s draw guy.

Compher is the one that can go and is likely easiest to trade. Hes cheaper than Copp and historically has better production.

 

[19 for president]

Compher is the one that can go and is likely easiest to trade. Hes cheaper than Copp and historically has better production.

I really want to try and deal Compher this off season. He's signed for longer, is terrible at faceoffs, is ok but not great defensively and I don't think adds enough offense vs Kasper at 2C to warrant being here. We'd be much better off using his money + to get a legit scoring winger.

Copp at least as a 4th line defensive guy adds an element we don't have on this team otherwise which is a good defensive center that can win faceoffs. He's overpaid for that role, but I'm ok with that as long as he's filling a legit role and not being thrust onto an offensive line.

We need more guys that actually have defined roles on this team besides minute muncher. Kasper is one of the very few guys on this team that can actually swiss army knife and play different roles well. He can play D, play wing/center, be gritty, support skill, etc. Most of our players can do one or two things well and it really limits where they can play in the lineup.

Draper/Yzerman need to be on the ice with Kasper and Ras this summer running them through the finer points of faceoffs. Bring up Danielson for this too lol.

Don't want Toews. I think he screams Tank 2.0 at best. The likelihood of him coming back at 36/37, having not played in years, and actually being decent is insanely slim. At best he's a PTO at camp and he better be at least 25% better than any of our prospects to warrant a spot.

 

[sepster]

I don't know. I think going into next year we can pencil Kasper into 2C and Ras into 3C. top9 wings are Ray, Debrincat, Soder, probably Kane. After that..Buch? Nate? Mazur? Tank is still signed, and berggren is a RFA. I'd be pretty close to moving Compher regardless, depending on Copp's injury.

If we have the space, I also don't have a problem with having any of them on the fourth line/press box, either. Guess just the optimist in me is hoping Yzerman can pull some other moves out.

Rasmussen penciled as the 3C? He needs to be penciled onto a bus ticket out of town.

 

[Run the Jewels]

He isn’t a first year pro by any stretch and what was Dylan Larkin???

You have to play a mature enough game to stick with the coach. It isn’t surprising that Raymond (lots of pro experience) and Larkin also quickly ascended.

We don’t have to make things up. Super happy with Marco’s progress this season, I hope Danielson can make this kind of impact next year. That would be massive for this team.

Kinda weird to downplay the accomplishments of a guy who's showing signs of filling one of the organization's most chronic long-term needs.

This is from Max's article last week:

It’s noteworthy, for example, that he currently has the same number of goals (13) as Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier, a fellow rookie forward (and a top-five pick) from the same 2022 draft. It makes you wonder if Kasper’s offensive potential may indeed be more substantial than some of his seasons on the way up might have otherwise indicated.​

He wasn't expected to have that much offensive upside, so it's pretty much found money and could be a long-term solution to the need for a scoring line center so we don't have to offer absurd contracts to guys like Copp and Compher any longer. Kane in particular highlighted how important his net-front play is for opening up space.

"What I’ve liked about his game is just his pace of play and his ability to drive the middle, right? That just opens up a lot of space for us, and for him going to the net too. That’s definitely been a key factor for our success."​

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Kinda weird to downplay the accomplishments of a guy who's showing signs of filling one of the organization's most chronic long-term needs.

This is from Max's article last week:

It’s noteworthy, for example, that he currently has the same number of goals (13) as Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier, a fellow rookie forward (and a top-five pick) from the same 2022 draft. It makes you wonder if Kasper’s offensive potential may indeed be more substantial than some of his seasons on the way up might have otherwise indicated.​

He wasn't expected to have that much offensive upside, so it's pretty much found money and could be a long-term solution to the need for a scoring line center so we don't have to offer absurd contracts to guys like Copp and Compher any longer. Kane in particular highlighted how important his net-front play is for opening up space.

"What I’ve liked about his game is just his pace of play and his ability to drive the middle, right? That just opens up a lot of space for us, and for him going to the net too. That’s definitely been a key factor for our success."​

Kinda of strange to go several posts back and not acknowledge I am responding to someone calling him a first year pro which he isn't. Was pointing out his hockey sense and trustworthiness for coaches gets him those opportunities similar to Larkin and Raymond ascending fast. I championed moving him to the top line as soon as Veleno faltered before they actually did it in this thread I believe. I was worried about his offense, but I have continuously called his floor, Lars Eller a player with over 1100 games in the NHL. Since then I even threw out maybe he could be a Toews Lite version which is a big top 6 compliment long-term. I also still do hope that Danielson is an even more offensive version of a center within the system. We need a few of these guys.

Kasper looks like he can outkick the development projection offensive side of his game, we are starting to have a bunch of wins on our first rounders, it is one of the parts of the rebuild under Yzerman that is going well in most everyone's opinion.

 

[Run the Jewels]

4 goals and 5 points in Kasper's last 6 games.

 

[Coach Reggie Dunlop]

Kasper is a Swiss Army knife that I think will be very integral to our success in the future. I don’t care if he scores greasy goals, he’s like the only guy on our team who does.

 

[newfy]

Kasper is a Swiss Army knife that I think will be very integral to our success in the future. I don’t care if he scores greasy goals, he’s like the only guy on our team who does.

Those goals matter in the playoffs. Youre not winning with perimeter play once they get there.

Kasper has shown flashes of his physical game but it hasnt really come around much at all in the NHL. Hasnt been much of a pest either

 

[Coach Reggie Dunlop]

Those goals matter in the playoffs. Youre not winning with perimeter play once they get there.

Kasper has shown flashes of his physical game but it hasnt really come around much at all in the NHL. Hasnt been much of a pest either

Eh idk kasper averages like 2 hits per game. Obviously that isn’t all that goes into being physical but he still is pretty physical.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Those goals matter in the playoffs. Youre not winning with perimeter play once they get there.

Kasper has shown flashes of his physical game but it hasnt really come around much at all in the NHL. Hasnt been much of a pest either

He’s a rookie feeling the league out. Plus the rest of Detroit is a pretty timid team. If Ed and Watson aren’t on the ice he’s in the scrums solo.

 

[RED WINGS STOMP]

I recall him dropping Durzi the other night. He isn't going out there acting like a total nut trying hit everything, but he is using the body when needed.

 

[DangerMouse]

He’s a rookie feeling the league out. Plus the rest of Detroit is a pretty timid team. If Ed and Watson aren’t on the ice he’s in the scrums solo.

Watson might be worth carrying on the 4th line next year to see if he can do for the Wings what he did for GR this year.

Unrelated Note - Kasper looks like Brendan Fraser in your profile pic lol

 

[Winger98]

He’s a rookie feeling the league out. Plus the rest of Detroit is a pretty timid team. If Ed and Watson aren’t on the ice he’s in the scrums solo.

whenever discussions around here roll around to who to add over the summer, players to chase, I really hope we go after someone who less timid.