The Athletic’s Max Bultman posted a mailbag feature today, discussing a number of topics, from prospect tournament lines to potential additions to the Wings’ roster, Andrew Copp’s production, and more:
What do you think of Kasper this season? Will he be a part of the NHL roster? We think so. Greetings from a Rögle fan. — Robo X.
The fact he got a game in the spring is a point in his favor. My feeling is Kasper will play NHL games this season. Is that number nine? Is it 20? Is it 40? All of that remains to be seen.
It is possible, of course, that Kasper pulls a Lucas Raymond and grabs a spot for opening night. But the Red Wings are deeper than they were in Raymond’s rookie year, and the fact Kasper plays center might make it even more complicated. Detroit could always opt to break him in on the wing — or to flex Andrew Copp, for example, outside — but getting them to consider that option for one of their top prospects is going to require him to really kick the door down this fall.
Perhaps he will do that. I spent some time around Rögle last season and was quite impressed by Kasper’s maturity and work ethic. That was amplified even further when I saw he was able to be a full participant at development camp despite sustaining a meaningful injury at the end of the season. So I have no doubt he put the maximum amount of work in this summer, and his talent speaks for itself.
But if you put me on the spot, I’d say he starts in Grand Rapids and plays himself up to Detroit sometime around late January. From there, I think he’ll make it hard to send him back down
Continued (paywall); I’m a Kasper fan as well, and we need to remember that his father, Peter, was a long-time pro in Europe. Kasper grew up under the tutelage of his dad, who’s also his agent.
Between dad’s tutelage, and hanging around KAC Klagenfurt of the Austrian league, Kasper’s been exposed to professional hockey players and the circumstances of their success and failure since he was a little kid, so it’s not surprising that Kasper has an air of cool, collected maturity about him.
