As I write this, Canada is taking it to Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off, an event that’s been rather kind to the Red Wings. And that means a couple of things. For one, there’s a good chance it’ll be Canada vs. the USA Round 2, and that Detroit hockey will return before we all know it.
And so far, it’s been a season we can divide into thirds, with the first one-third of the season going anyway but what the Wings envisioned. The second third finished in a completely different fashion, so that leaves the final third.
Are the Red Wings for real under head coach Todd McLellan, or will teams figure them out after the break? Yeah, opponents may get an inkling of how to get the best of the system the Wings are running after they’ve had time to adjust. A prolonged adjustment period.
But there’s still one player who’s relatively new to the NHL and has been making their presence known lately. One who might give opponents some serious trouble.
Marco Kasper will be back in the Red Wings lineup and he’ll be taking over
The last I checked, Marco Kasper was the victim of another ‘paper transaction.’ And if you don’t know what that is, it means he was ‘reassigned’ to the AHL, but won’t necessarily play in the AHL. Or better yet, don’t expect Kasper to even leave the Red Wings building and instead, anticipate him to return to the 23-man roster once the season picks back up.
And when you look at the way Kasper’s been playing lately, you’ll know why. Through 50 games, Kasper has just 20 points and nine goals, with a so-so 11.0 shooting percentage, and a minus-7. But judge Kasper more on the player he’s been recently, and you’ll know why he’s earned his spot in Hockeytown for the foreseeable future. At least in the foreseeable future.
Over Kasper’s past 15 games, he’s garnered 13 points, seven goals, a plus-4, and a 23.3 shooting percentage. It’s getting clear now that he’s starting to understand the NHL game enough to make an impact from a points perspective, and you can anticipate perhaps a point-per-game pace when the Wings enter the inevitable ‘down the stretch’ period.
Kasper’s surge is good news for Detroit and its fans
Kasper’s production gives opponents yet another Red Wings player to worry about, and it’s already been bad enough with the likes of Dylan Larkin handing teams headaches, along with Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat. Enter Marco Kasper, whose surge helped the Wings snag 10 wins in those 15 contests.
We’ve seen a more dangerous, high-octane team since Todd McLellan yanked the reins from Derek Lalonde, and Kasper’s benefited perhaps more than any other Red Wings player. Should this trend continue and the Wings find a way to acquire another player or two at the trade deadline, you’re looking at one deep hockey team.
We’ll see if this projection transforms into a reality but even if Kasper falls short of my expectations, he’ll still make his presence known in Detroit in subsequent seasons. This is, of course, assuming general manager Steve Yzerman doesn’t make the world’s largest mistake and trade Kasper in a blockbuster deal.