A bit of praise for Soderblom and Kasper from Sportsnet’s Bukala

Sportsnet’s Jason Bukala is providing scouting reports on every one of the four prospect teams taking part in the Red Wings’ 2023 Prospect Tournament. Here’s what he has to say about Detroit, which lost 4-2 to Dallas last night:

The tournament hosts had their chances versus Dallas on day one, but couldn’t find the tying goal late. Steve Yzerman’s team has been rebuilding. As a result they have three first-round picks (Marco Kasper, Sebastian Cossa, and Nate Danielson) and four second-round picks (William Nylander, Antti Tuomisto, Andrew Gibson, and Cross Hanus) on their roster.

Elmer Soderblom, 6-foot-8, 246 pounds, left shot forward
Drafted 159th overall in 2019

In my opinion Soderblom won the “player of the day” award after his effort versus Dallas. He was an absolute horse. He scored the Wings’ first goal off a corner crease tip, and had too many chances to count overall. I’m not exaggerating when I say Soderblom looked out of place for the right reasons — he appears prepared to challenge for an NHL roster spot. His puck touch has improved immensely as he’s matured as a player. He extends plays with his size and length and makes several subtle plays that have to be monitored closely to be appreciated.

Marco Kasper, 6-foot-1, 183 pounds, left shot forward
Drafted eighth overall in 2022

Kasper played centre and didn’t look out of place in the role, and has traditionally shown he can play both the wing and the middle. His movement was NHL worthy. He played quick and fast. I appreciate he tracked back the full 200 feet and pressured the puck up ice as F1 trying to create turnovers.

What concerns me is the look of his game offensively. For all the motion, effort, and detail, he didn’t have many looks at the net or handle the puck off the rush making plays. I’m wondering if he is going to be more of a 3F than a top-six scoring forward at the NHL level.

Continued; Kasper has good offensive skills in my opinion, but he’s still trying to make SHL plays on NHL ice, and he’s going to have to simplify his game to adjust to the lack of time and space on the 85-foot-wide rink.