Training camp is inching closer for the 2026-27 Detroit Red Wings. Despite this, the team is (hopefully) nearing the end of their general manager search, still has to sign Simon Edvinsson to a new deal and deal with the fallout of Dylan Larkin’s trade request one way or another.
After an offseason where Detroit took an absolute beating due to the above circumstances, having the simplicity of players on ice and in full hockey gear looking to make the team is a refreshing change of pace. Within an Atlantic Division looking absolutely stacked from top to bottom, it may be an uphill climb for the Red Wings to snap their 10-year playoff drought.
Even if the competitive outlook is murky, there is a lot at stake for several players this season. As Detroit’s mystery new GM tries to build a playoff caliber roster around the core of Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson while navigating Alex DeBrincat’s upcoming free agency, a myriad of youngsters will have an opportunity to prove that they can be part of the solution. Few of those players are more important than Marco Kasper.
Kasper’s sophomore season adds questions to his future
Marco Kasper is a certified NHL regular, one whose combination of speed and physicality is prominent whenever he steps onto the ice. After a strong close to the 2024-25 season, Kasper was expected to take another step forward to establish himself as the team’s second-line center between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane, instead, he bounced up and down the lineup and never got on track offensively.
With the dust settled on two full NHL seasons, we are left looking at two versions of Marco Kasper. In the first 35 games of his 2024-25 rookie season, Kasper averaged 14:35 on ice and contributed just seven points on two goals and five assists. After Detroit’s midseason coaching change to Todd McLellan, Kasper erupted with 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) in the final 42 games as the Red Wings pushed for a wild card spot. His sophomore season, however, saw him drop below 14 minutes per game with him finishing at 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists) in 81 games.
Outside of that 42-game stretch in 2024-25, Kasper has 26 points in 117 career games. For someone taken in the top 10 of his draft, that is borderline healthy scratch level of production.
Addressing knee issue could change Kasper’s outlook this season
Once Detroit (and Kasper’s) disappointing 2025-26 season came to an end, Kasper revealed that he had been playing through a knee injury, which kept him from suiting up for Austria during the IIHF World Championships. A return to health could be just what is needed to get his production back to where it finished up in his rookie year.
On a team with limited speed, Kasper’s ability to play with pace makes him a tantalizing pick for potentially centering the top line should Dylan Larkin be dealt away. Despite his struggles last year, Kasper was a near break even Corsi player at 49.2% and was one of their better 5-on-5 options a year prior. Should his return to health get him back to that production, a breakout season is entirely possible if he secures minutes with Raymond or DeBrincat.
Red Wings need Kasper to show he is a top-six forward this season
While the ceiling for Kasper is likely not as a competitive team’s first-line center, he may be the default option depending on what happens in the Dylan Larkin saga. Between his obvious speed and willingness to play the body (team-high 186 hits last season), Kasper has more than enough in his game to create space for anyone on his line. If he regains his scoring touch from his rookie year, it will go a long way towards cementing the Austrian center as another core piece for Detroit to build upon as they try to turn around their decade-long funk.
A bounce back season for Kasper is necessary to shorten the rebuild, which has already gone on for too long, and more of the same from last season would spell disaster and create yet another spot a new general manager has to address. At 22-years-old, Kasper still has growth potential left in him, but it is imperative that he turn that potential into more production to secure his future as a Red Wing worth keeping around. With his entry-level contract ending after this season, Kasper’s 2026-27 campaign will go a long way towards determining his place in Detroit’s attempt to return to relevance for the long haul.
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