Do the Detroit Red Wings finally have an up and coming youngster pushing himself into the lineup after rostering squads filled with veterans?
It certainly looks like it.
Marco Kasper has been put on a clinic during the preseason. His confidence with and without the puck is noticeable to even the most casual of hockey fans. After his 2 goal performance against Ottawa on Friday night, coach Lalonde sang his praises:
"We used him on the powerplay today, but [we] trust him on the penalty kill [and we] trust him with faceoffs”, he continued, “He had a really good camp for us."Head coach Derek Lalonde
Kasper's toolset contains offensive and defensive responsibility, which is valued in the city of Detroit.
It seems as if Kasper is on the inside among the other potential rookies to earn a spot on the Red Wings roster, however, that leaves a dilemma in the hands of general manager, Steve Yzerman.
How does he make room for the preseason standout who has all but earned his place among the veterans in Detroit?
There are a few routes to navigate but not all the options are ideal.
Cut a Goaltender - Carrying 3 starting-caliber goaltenders on the roster is not ideal. That being said, it was a move that helped Detroit last season after an injury-plagued season from Ville Husso. Alex Lyon and James Reimer carried the load and ultimately came up short of the postseason. Now the red and white have upgraded their net with Cam Talbot in place of James Reimer and Husso seems to be back on track to a healthy season and is looking to regain the starting job. This would leave Alex Lyon, who played admirably last season and stole many games for the club to keep them in the playoff hunt. He could be a very intriguing player for other teams to target in a trade due to his affordable contract, thus creating an extra roster spot for Kasper to fill.
Waive a Veteran Defensemen - Listen, I know. The Red Wings defensive group leaves a lot to be desired. Let’s call it what it is; weak. So why would I even consider moving a defenseman and weaken the room's depth? Since the Justin Holl contract was signed, it has been a disaster and with the addition of Albert Johannson, it may be time to eat the money and cut our losses. If you can waive a player like Holl who will see very few games barring a plethora of injuries to add a player to spark the offense, it may be worth it. On one hand, you eat a lot of money and give Holl major playing time in Grand Rapids. On the other, some desperate team claims him off waivers and the cap problem is that much less of a problem.
Sit a Forward Who Has Not Seized The Moment - The saga of Jonatan Berggren is well-documented within the organization. Alleged animosity from the Swedish forward towards the front office of Detroit doesn't help the situation, either. He believes that he is NHL-ready, and in his defense, he probably is. The problem lies within what type of system the club wants to run, which means they need to be able to trust him without the puck on his stick. If he is unable to earn that trust, he may find himself sitting in the press box watching Kasper play in his spot, once again stuck waiting for an opportunity to lace them up.