Of all the Detroit Red Wings players that disappointed this season, few let down fans quite like Marco Kasper.
The 2023 first round pick experienced a common (albeit frustrating) phenomena known as the sophomore slump. In 81 games with the Red Wings, Kasper managed just nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points. While plus/minus isn't an accurate measurement of a player's defense, his -20 was second-worst on the Red Wings behind Axel Sandin-Pellikka.
Despite his setbacks, the Red Wings still believe in him.
During the Red Wings' end-of-season press conference, Max Bultman of The Athletic asked McLellan about Marco Kasper's performance and where he stands with the team. Where some may look at box scores and plus/minus figures, McLellan sees the bigger picture.
"As far as Marco goes, we have a very high belief in this young man," McLellan stated. "I'm saying the same thing I've said all year. It's not easy when you come back and have high expectations... and it doesn't go the way you want. He's dealing with a lot as a young man, but he's got the skillset. He's got a drive and a demeanor where I believe he'll work his way through all of this."
McLellan's plans for Kasper
The organization's trust in Kasper is a massive comfort from a development standpoint. It's clear that McLellan and Yzerman are on the same page of preaching patience and that their priority lies in the development of the younger players. With that said, however, McLellan acknowledges that changes need to be made to help him properly develop.
"Some of the repsonsiblity does lie on us -- how we use him, how we bounce him aroudn a bit. Sometimes he's a winger, sometimes he's a center. Ironically, that's because we believe in him. We move him because we know he can do the job. But maybe we have to find him a consistent home."
During the later portion of the season, Kasper spent the majority of his time as the third line center. Like McLellan said, though, he was treated as a sort of everyman on the roster, playing up and down the lineup at wing and center. Perhaps this inconsistent deployment stymied his ability to get into a groove. There's an argument to be made that the line blender hampered chances for him to develop line chemistry, as well.
That said, McLellan's got high hopes for Kasper next season.
"I think this young man's gonna come back and be just as determined as he was to make the team with maybe a different approach to the game and a set of goals," McLellan said. Next season, he won't have that weight on his shoulders."
Yzerman echoes McLellan's praise
Steve Yzerman joined the conversation shortly after to share his thoughts on Kasper. "He's a really good man. High character. Great work ethic. He has good skills, but like many young players, he's kinda gotta figure out what he is as a player. It's gonna take some time, but with the guidance of our coaching staff we can get him to become an effective player."
The entire post-game press conference took about 45 minutes, but at the very end, Yzerman left no words unsaid about Kasper and his development. "I think Marco can be a really good two-way center, even potentially a winger, but we've gotta put him in a spot to succeed."
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