The Detroit Red Wings have made another splash in the roster move game. After inking Carter Mazur to his entry-level contract earlier this week, the team has since gone out and recalled Marco Kasper from Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League(SHL).
The move brings the Detroit Red Wings prospect in to join the team as they cruise through the remainder of the 2022-23 season. Kasper is with the Red Wings on the ice getting his work in, wearing the winged wheel uniform.
It could be a hint that he will take the ice with the Red Wings as early as tonight. However, Kasper may also be just getting some work in preparation for an NHL debut on Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs if he is not in the lineup tonight.
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After a season with Rögle BK, where he took home the award for the 2022 Austrian Player of the Year, becoming the youngest player to ever earn the honor, he also earned the “Granite Puck” award from Rögle for his performance both on and off the ice and being a standout player in the community, something that bodes well for his time in Detroit.
Detroit Red Wings prospect Marco Kasper recalled from Rögle BK.
In 2022-23, Kasper logged 52 games played, scoring eight goals and adding 15 assists for 23 total points. He tallied three assists over nine games played. He also scored a goal and added two assists for three points over five games with Team Austria.
The young prospect has a high ceiling and could be an offensively gifted part of the team’s forward core. He’s got upside as a goal scorer and play-maker, as evident with his time this year in the SHL, where he showed off some of the skills.
Kasper is a smooth-skating forward who has a chance to be an impact player down the line. He will fight for a chance to crack the roster in 2023-24 on the other side of the summer. He may have some growing pains as he gets his feet wet in the North American game, but that is expected.
After all, Kasper is still just 18 years old. So, he will have some leeway as he starts to get settled into this new caliber of play. Even coming from the SHL, which is notorious for being a good preparation spot before jumping to North America.
The Red Wings could drop him into the lineup tonight, benching Matt Luff; if not, Kasper should get his chance to debut on Sunday against the Maple Leafs.