Detroit Red Wings Prospect #1: First-rounder Marco Kasper.
There is a real possibility that Marco Kasper is the second most talented player at the center position that Detroit has in their system, behind Dylan Larkin. On the surface, that seems like an outlandish statement. However, Andrew Copp has been struggling to produce and would be ideal on a third line. Sure, Copp is a veteran who is undoubtedly more polished and will make fewer mistakes on the ice if you were to have a head-to-head comparison.
But as far as high-end talent goes, Kasper is oozing with it, and that is what the Red Wings need so desperately right now. He has the potential to put the puck in the net at a high rate. Detroit has been thirsting for a goal scorer, so the idea of having Kasper go through some growing pains against top talent in the league could quite possibly be on the table if it means adding firepower to a stifled offense.
Ideally, General Manager Steve Yzerman and the Red Wings management would choose to have any European player spend a year learning North American hockey and the team’s system of play for a year before bringing them up to the NHL. Still, in this case, Kasper’s talent may be enough to overcome that traditional thought.