Simon Edvinsson could be Nicklas Lidström lite
Bold statement, I know. But it's not untrue. While Edvinsson may only have one full NHL season under his belt, He's shown massive offensive upside while also being mostly sound defensively.
While his defensive game has a few kinks that need to be ironed out, it's his offense that really reminds me of Lidström. Never afraid to throw the puck at the net to see what happens, as well as an above-average blue line shot that has the potential to get better. He's also been great at keeping the puck in the offensive zone and knows when to pinch and when to retreat.
That's not to say that his defensive game is poor. Very few in hockey history have been able to match what Lidström was able to accomplish defensively. However, last season Edvinsson showed that he's more than capable defensively.
His long reach has allowed his gap control to improve, and he's been great along the boards in his own zone. It may be a bold comparison, but I believe there is more truth to it than many would think.
Marco Kasper and Johan Franzén are the same person
This may be the easiest comparison I have ever made. Kasper and Franzén played nearly the same game, in the same way, and that may be the best thing the Red Wings could've hoped for.
Both Kasper and Franzén have the same skillset. They play a physical, crash-and-bang style of hockey and pick up a lot of "dirty goals." But they also have great shots where, if need be, they could launch the puck from nearly any place on the ice. The one main difference that these two have is that Kasper is better defensively than Franzén, with him already becoming a primary member of the penalty kill.
But that doesn't stop his offensive prowess. Being a pain in the neck at net front and while a bit more skilled with his hands, the Wings has also been able to power through defenders to get net front as well as be difficult to move out of the way.
In my opinion, he has the ability to score 25-plus goals every season. More importantly, Kasper showed this season that he could very well be the Red Wings answer at the 2C position.
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