A look at the Red Wings forward depth chart and who might be recalled next

The Detroit Red Wings' injury train is never late, or so I thought. Imagine my surprise when the trade deadline rolled around, and we had just our captain, Dylan Larkin, and goaltender Ville Husso on injured reserve (IR). 

It’s likely that the lack of injuries played a role in Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman's decision to stay relatively quiet at the trade deadline. Although they moved on from Klim Kostin, it seems that it was a mutual, amicable breakup. He deserved a more steady role in the lineup that the Detroit Red Wings just didn’t have available. Even when Kostin played, no special teams time meant less than seven minutes of ice time per game regularly.

In exchange for Klim Kostin, the Detroit Red Wings received a late-round pick and Radim Šimek. Seemingly a throw-in as part of the trade, the former American Hockey League (AHL) captain of the San Jose Barracuda joins a robust Grand Rapids Griffins defensive core. Maybe Steve Yzerman had a crystal ball that allowed him to see a possible Simon Edvinsson injury in the future, but it appears this trade happened just in time for the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Along with the loss of Jonatan Berggren, who is on recall to the Detroit Red Wings for the indefinite future, it’s likely another forward will be recalled if Larkin is not ready to go, as Michael Rasmussen took a puck to the hand late in the game versus the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde had no update as of the postgame show when Bally Sports Detroit analyst Trevor Thompson inquired about it. Now, it seems he's either good to go or possibly day-to-day, as he practiced with the team Monday in Las Vegas.

With every injury, though disappointing and frustrating, there’s a breath of opportunity. In this case, a Grand Rapids Griffins player could get a tryout with the Detroit Red Wings.

An important piece to note is that the Detroit Red Wings haven't shied away from using 11 forwards and seven defensemen this season. Especially on the road, this seems to give Lalonde flexibility with his line combinations and pairings when he wouldn't have it otherwise. It's possible, even likely, that if another forward is injured, the Detroit Red Wings will just go this route.

However, there are many options in terms of recall, and all of them are great. In reality, anyone can argue for the following players and be absolutely correct in their reasoning. At the end of the day, it will come down to Yzerman’s preferences (and possibly Lalonde’s).

Here is the list of candidates and their cases for joining the Detroit Red Wings in terms of a possible Detroit Red Wings forward depth chart.

Marco Kasper

A group of us were standing, waiting for the table with Marco Kasper and Albert Johansson. A lady in front of me asked who was who. Of course, I couldn't see the table.

"Kasper is the one with the flow," I replied. She wasn't sure of what flow is, and though Johansson has his own style, I'd reckon flow is a bit more Kasper's thing. We were able to identify the difference based on hat versus no hat, Johansson's signature look is a hat. On the other hand, Kasper likes to let his locks flow freely.

If the Detroit Red Wings are looking to win games, I think there is no better candidate than Kasper.

It's funny, as I'm not sure I've seen such a Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde in real life. He's the most respectful, helpful dude I've watched. One example, the teddy bear toss night was a blast. Players were all having fun with the various stuffed animals, but Kasper was dedicated. Meticulously, going from pile to pile, helping to collect every last stuffed animal he could to help the workers. (Maybe he was just trying to get back to playing the game as quickly as possible, but he's usually good about getting pucks in the same way after practice, so I think it's just a part of his personality.) Either way, he’s a tremendous human being.

To opponents on the ice, he’s an absolute nightmare.

Although his campaign was slow to start, understandably so, he’s steadily improved. He’s becoming one of the most reliable, hardworking, and play-driving forwards the Grand Rapids Griffins have in their lineup.

Since Berggren’s recall to the Detroit Red Wings, the line with Carter Mazur and Kasper has slowed (expectedly so). This proves that Berggren is insane at driving play and creating chances. He makes all players better (directly and indirectly), but that’s an article for another day.

In Berggren’s absence, Kasper has had to adjust. It wasn’t as quick as I had hoped, but with every shift, he’s getting more confidence and growing in assertiveness. He always puts in the effort to retrieve pucks along the boards. Not afraid to go to the dirty areas, take or dish a hit to make a play, or tussle with opponents, Kasper plays a hard-nosed game without the nonsense. (It’s likely why Berggren and Kasper play so well together).

While other candidates on this list do all of the above well, nobody battles harder than Kasper. His effectiveness can sometimes be questioned, but his effort is always there. Effort alone isn’t why he should join the Detroit Red Wings, but his effectiveness matches his effort output.

He's a mean ghost who doesn't take crap from anyone, doesn't back down, and will protect his teammates to Hell and back. His conditioning is second to none. Not to mention he’s thicker than a 200-year-old oak tree; Kasper is physically ready for a chance in the NHL.

I’d argue that Kasper is among the best puck retrievers on the Grand Rapids Griffins roster. He’s still improving on holding on to pucks and making plays once he gets the puck, but those skills are also coming along nicely. Though not always the case, it’s likely these areas of opportunity would greatly improve with time spent practicing and playing alongside Detroit Red Wings players (likely quicker than if he remains with the Grand Rapids Griffins).

Kasper kills penalties, plays on a power play unit, and is stellar on five-on-five play.

It may be premature to bring Kasper up now, and he may not flourish right away in the National Hockey League (NHL), but it’s likely he will pay the most dividends after the first handful of games.

He’s a quick, dedicated learner who I would love to see in a third/fourth-line role with the likes of Robby Fabbri, Christian Fischer, and/or Daniel Sprong. He likely would start as a winger, but with a center’s mindset where he is defensively responsible. He could even trade-off with duties in the faceoff dot, where not all the burden of center duties is placed on one player. He could be eased into the center role and specialty teams duties and wouldn’t look out of place.

Carter Mazur

Always a fan favorite, Carter Mazur is a man of the people. He’s a tremendous hockey player who plays an effective sandpaper game that I liken to a Vlad Namestnikov-type player. Mazur can play anywhere in the lineup or on any special team, and he’s likely to improve it. 

At times, he can be aggressive in battling for space on the ice as well as pucks.

In a lot of ways, he’s like Kasper but possibly a little less aggressive along the boards. He seems to love the slot area and battling in open areas of the ice. Kasper is more effective along the boards but less so active in the slot and in open areas of the ice. Both players can do what the other does well, but I give the win in board play to Kasper, open to Mazur.

Ever since the first time I saw Mazur play in Denver, Colorado, I've loved his game. He will be a regular in the Detroit Red Wings lineup someday, sooner than later, but I think Kasper's consistency, conditioning, and reliability give him a slight edge for now.

Tim Gettinger

The contract extension for Tim Gettinger announced on March 11, 2024, may suggest that Gettinger is getting a call-up from the Detroit Red Wings.

Part of me would be disappointed at the thought of Kasper or Mazur being passed on to play Gettinger, but the other part of me would be over the moon for Gettinger.

He’s a hardworking, effective player.

At only 25 years of age, Gettinger still has time to develop his wings as a middle to bottom-six forward. He can muck it up, help to set up some decent plays, get pucks back well, and has a surprisingly effective shot. In 51 games, he’s scored 12 goals and earned 13 assists for a total of 25 points. From 2018 through 2021, Gettinger played 16 games for the New York Rangers but has yet to record a point. In 2021-22, he donned an “A” for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.

Because of my curiosity in what Gettinger could be at the NHL-level, I give him the slight edge over the next candidates. He’s a favorite of the coaches and a player Yzerman mentioned by name in his press conference. I'm not sure that there's the same level of payoff as bringing up a guy like Kasper.

Elmer Söderblom

The closest thing to a replacement for Rasmussen in Detroit's system is Elmer Söderblom.

While he is a known commodity and his game has picked up as of late, I think it would be a disservice to Söderblom and others on this list to see him recalled before them.

The beginning of the season was rough for Söderblom. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. In Söderblom’s defense, he was coming off a foot injury, which is never easy. Considering he is a big man, I imagine any sort of foot injury is even more of an issue.

Right now, Söderblom is getting into a nice rhythm with Amadeus Lombardi. It kind of reminds me of Lucas Raymond and Söderblom when they played together at the World Juniors. They’re both having a fun time, and I think it’s only fair to let them continue to play together and see where things go.

Although I still question Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Dan Watson's use of that line as a fourth line, that’s a discussion for another day.

In closing, Marco Kasper is the guy that I would call up as soon as possible to help the Detroit Red Wings chase a playoff spot. Who do you think the Detroit Red Wings should recall from the forward group next?