The Free Press’s Helene St. James’ customary 6 AM-published article just hit the internet wires this morning, and today’s missive discusses the Red Wings‘ decision to draft one Marco Kasper with the 8th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft:
“We like everything about the way he plays,” Yzerman said Thursday after selecting Kasper at No. 8 overall on the first day of the 2022 NHL draft at Bell Centre. “He has good size, he’s a good skater, he’s got good hockey sense. I think he’s a centerman but I believe he can play anywhere at the three forward positions.
“He’s not super flashy, he just make the right play. He can make a pass, he’s got a good shot, can carry the puck up the ice. He’s not flashy, he’s very efficient. He’s really fundamentally sound. He plays very simple — he drives hard to the net, drives down the wing, can take the puck to the net, and also pull up and look for the late guy. He’s an all-around player.”
Kasper (6 feet 1, 187 pounds) marks the fourth straight year Yzerman has dipped into the European market for his first-round pick, following Germany’s Moritz Seider in 2019 and Swedes Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Kasper left his native Austria at 16 to play in Sweden, where he rose through the ranks with Rögle to play for the top-tier Swedish Hockey League squad. (He also bothered to learn Swedish, even though he could have gotten by with English.) He had 11 points in 46 games in the regular season, six points in 13 playoff games — and also posted two assists at the World Championship. That’s an impressive resume for a teenager competing against men.
“It certainly helped,” Yzerman said. “Our scouts really have liked him all year. In the playoffs in particular, he played very well, and that was really encouraging for us.”
Continued (paywall)…
