Nobody else was winning rookie of the year for the Detroit Red Wings in 2024-25, so Marco Kasper taking the award surprises nobody. That's the given, even when the season ended nearly three months ago and yes, it's been that long, already.
Which means regular-season hockey will be underway again in three months and the sun will actually set at a decent time. Unlike most, I'm not a fan of these 9:00 p.m. sunsets, even if I know I'm an extreme outlier in that train of thought.
Anyway, while it's no surprise Kasper was the rookie of the year, chances are, he'll surprise a lot of us in NHL circles next season when his true breakout campaign commences. No, he won't surprise those of us who follow the Red Wings, because we know what Kasper's capable of.
But if you ask fans unfamiliar with the Red Wings, he'll catch them off guard. But, really, he shouldn't. In case you'd like a refresher, Kasper finished the year with 37 points and 19 goals in 77 games, but his season didn't take off until Todd McLellan came to town.
Marco Kasper thrived under Todd McLellan last season, so expect a major jump in 2025-26
During the Todd McLellan era, Kasper played in 48 games so far, with 30 points and 17 goals, plus a 16.5 shooting percentage and a plus-6 rating to go with it. That's 51.25 points throughout an 82-game average, and roughly 29 goals.
For Kasper, this could be the floor heading into next season. If he finished with 51 points, 29 goals, and 22 assists, Wings fans know their team will have a legitimate 2C behind Dylan Larkin. And if they already think that way, then Year 2 in Kasper's NHL career will just give them validation.
So, get ready for at least a respectable jump in Kasper next season. But if the entire team picks it up, then I can see him breaking the 60-point barrier. For the Red Wings, that would be a very, very good sign on many accounts.
Steve Yzerman would be the big winner if Kasper's production skyrockets north
There may not be another general manager in hockey that's more polarizing than Steve Yzerman when you judge all 32 GMs based on roster transactions. No, Yzerman couldn't bring in any big-name game-changers to Hockeytown, but we sometimes forget that players they already have could reach game-changer level.
Lucas Raymond's one step away, and Moritz Seider could get there if he gets more productive in the offensive zone. I highly doubt Kasper reaches that level in 2025-26, but if players like Raymond and Seider move up another rung to game-changer status, and Kasper continues his trek north, then Yzerman can tell all of us, "You should've kept faith in the Yzerplan all along."
That would be something. But, in a worst-case scenario, barring injuries, Kasper will at least enjoy a steady climb in production. And that could help set the stage for a playoff appearance in 2026-27 at the latest.
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