A future line of Berggren, Kasper, & Raymond?
In my head, I love the idea of Kasper and Raymond on a line with Berggren. Two more defensively responsible players, but they can hold their own in the offensive zone. Meanwhile Berggren can do his thing. I think Kasper and Berggren already play phenomenally together.
The Grand Rapids Griffins iced those two on the same line for the last third or so of the regular season. With Austin Czarnik returning from the NHL, Kasper was bumped to the second line (even though Kasper’s game is ridiculously good).
Cart Mazur played on that line while it was together. He added a nice physical, little bit of everything element to the line. Mazur is great in his own right; however, Raymond would add another dynamic layer to the line. This season, we saw the hits that an all grown up Raymond can dish, so he might fit right in on the line in place of Mazur. His elite vision, playmaking, and shot should elevate the line as well. It might take a bit of time for the players to adjust to each other, but it’s likely to be a compatible line.
Of course, the NHL is another animal, so who knows if it will translate well. Berggren and Kasper play an NHL projectable style, so I’m hopeful it would. While Raymond and Berggren weren’t effective as a line late in the season, I think they would adjust well together if given more than 5 periods of hockey together.