Red Wings forward Marco Kasper had a very solid rookie season, posting 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points over the course of 77 games played. In terms of his fantasy hockey impact, DobberHockey’s Ian Gooding notes that Kasper added “bang for his buck” in the literal sense:
Marco Kasper
In his first full NHL season, Kasper finished seventh in rookie scoring with 37 points in 77 games. Even more impressive was the fact that he finished the season with nine goals and 14 points and a plus-11 in his last 18 games. Kasper was shooting the lights out at 20.5% during that span, so we shouldn’t suddenly forecast him to score 40 goals. That surge is still a good sign for a 21-year-old player, though.
His usage varied throughout the Red Wings’ lineup, but his two most frequent line combinations included top 6 forwards Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane, and Alex DeBrincat. Looking at the Red Wings’ depth chart, Kasper appears to be slotted in as the second-line center behind Larkin and ahead of J.T. Compher and Andrew Copp. The odds seem good that he will be a used as a top-6 forward throughout 2025-26, although it’s worth mentioning that Copp was out of the lineup from late February onward due to season-ending surgery.
Another element to Kasper’s fantasy value is in the hits category. With 156 hits, Kasper trailed only Moritz Seider for the Detroit team lead in hits. That’s something to keep in mind for bangers leagues. Kasper has two-way skill, so it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if he took on some minutes on the third line.
The Wings will need their young high-end talent to take another step forward in order to become an Eastern Conference playoff team. Kasper was the eighth overall pick in 2022, so he comes with those high expectations. That’s why I’d expect Kasper’s icetime to increase from the 15:27 average in 2024-25 and perhaps take a small step forward in 2025-26.
Continued; I knew that Kasper was a scrappy fellow, but his hit total is positively surprising. He’s definitely slotting in as the Wings’ #2 center now, and he’s most certainly earned that spot with his work ethic, determination and resolve.
He just happens to be a player with untapped offensive potential, too.
