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Marco Kasper has figured out the North American game and will keep growing

The eighth-overall pick in 2022 made his NHL debut a season ago while playing most of the season on loan to the SHL’s Rogle BK. He was a sound contributor during his final professional season in Sweden, racking up 23 points and eight goals in 52 games before adding another three assists in nine playoff outings, and it’s something he will eventually parlay here in North America. 

He struggled early this season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, but during those initial stages, it was all about adjusting to the North American game. He’s recently come on stronger, and given the fact that Kasper is just 19, he hasn’t even come close to unlocking his full potential. That says a lot about what he will eventually become at the AHL and, ultimately, the NHL level. 

You saw this occur in the SHL when he scored just 11 times in 46 contests in 2021-22 before he more than doubled that point total last season. Now, he has 24 points and nine goals in 49 games for Grand Rapids, and there is a good chance he finishes the season with over a  half-point per game. 

Kasper’s overall calm demeanor stands out, and unlike many young players, you won't see him force anything. If he keeps up such a collected approach, it will serve him well should Yzerman keep him in the system and he finds himself playing full-time a year or two from today.