Red Wings 8th overall draft pick Marco Kasper spoke with the media at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal, in English, per the Red Wings…
And in Swedish, per Rogle BK’s website:
Hockey Austria is pumped!
Marco Kasper wurde von den Detroit Red Wings in der ersten Runde des NHL Drafts 2022 an Nummer 8️⃣ ausgewählt. Red Wings General Manager und NHL-Legende Steve Yzerman verlautbarte den Pick des Klagenfurters. pic.twitter.com/Q1WIT2gnu8— ÖEHV (@hockeyaustria) July 8, 2022
The Detroit News’s astute John Niyo posted a column discussing the Red Wings’ takes on 8th overall draft pick Marco Kasper, who Wings GM Steve Yzerman and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper believe has a high ceiling as a two-way center with moxie:
“We think he has underrated skill and we think he has the ability to play in our top six one day,” Yzerman said. “I can’t tell you if it’s next year or the year after, but we have high hopes for him.”
They have a huge need as well, and it’s one that Kasper seems ideally suited to fill in Detroit, where the search for a No. 2 center behind Dylan Larkin remains a top priority.
Kasper’s a do-it-all, two-way forward with a competitive nature that’s almost unmatched in this draft class. Kris Draper, the Wings’ amateur scouting director, described Kasper’s work ethic and compete level as “off the charts.” And at 6-foot-1 and a solid 185 pounds, he plays the game with a persistent tenacity and an aggressive style that should translate well to the smaller NHL rinks.
“I hope so, and I think so, too,” Kasper told reporters in Montreal.
Don’t sleep on the rest of his game, though. Yzerman’s reference to Kasper’s “underrated skill” on the ESPN broadcast sounded a bit intentional Thursday. And when asked about it later, he explained what he meant.
“He’s not super-flashy with backhand toe-drags and all that stuff,” Yzerman said. “He just kind of makes the right play. He can make a pass, he’s got a good shot, he can carry the puck up the ice. He’s not flashy. He’s very efficient.”
Continued (paywall);
Update: The character references continue, per MLive’s Ansar Khan:
Continue reading Niyo, Khan weigh in on Marco Kasper’s upsideThere’s already some debate as to where Red Wings 8th overall draft pick Marco Kasper is going to play next season. Hockeysverige.se’s Uffe Bodin spoke with Kasper (in Swedish!) about his plans for next season, and, as of the present moment, Kasper plans on heading back to the SHL. Here’s a rough translation of Uffe’s article:
Continue reading Roughly Translated: Initially, anyway, Marco Kasper wants to stay with Rogle1a. Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and director of amateur scouting Kris Draper spoke with the media on the draft floor in Montreal on Thursday night, and the Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a 6:15 video of the noisy scene:
1b. EDIT/UPDATE: Here’s better sound from the Red Wings’ video of Yzerman speaking with the media:
1c. EDIT/UPDATE: Here’s Draper, per the Red Wings:
2. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler also weighed in on the Red Wings’ first-round pick, suggesting that Detroit is an “overtime loser” for having picked a player they could have taken later in the draft:
Continue reading Two (late-night) things: HSJ speaks with Yzerman, Draper about Marco Kasper; Wheeler suggests that Matt Savoie got awayIt’s officially official:
RED WINGS SELECT CENTER MARCO KASPER EIGHTH OVERALL IN 2022 NHL DRAFT
… Third-Ranked European Forward Has Played For Sweden’s Rögle BK Since 2020-21 …
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today selected center Marco Kasper in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.
Kasper spent the majority of the 2021-22 season playing for Rögle BK in the Swedish Hockey League, tallying 11 points (7-4-11) and 17 penalty minutes in 46 games. His 11 regular-season points were the most of any under-18 skater in Sweden’s top professional league. The 6-foot-1, 183-pound forward then recorded six points (3-3-6), a plus-four rating and nine penalty minutes in 13 postseason contests as Rögle reached the SHL Semifinals, falling to eventual champion Färjestad in six games. Kasper also helped Rögle clinch its first-ever Champions Hockey League title, notching six points (2-4-6) in 12 appearances during the competition. Additionally, Kasper compiled 13 points (6-7-13) and 10 penalty minutes in 12 games for Rögle’s under-20 squad, along with a goal and two assists in one playoff game with the team. Kasper entered tonight’s draft ranked fifth on NHL’s Central Scouting list among European skaters and third among European forwards.
A native of Innsbruck, Austria, Kasper becomes the highest Austrian-born pick since former Red Wings forward Thomas Vanek, who was selected fifth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. On the international stage, Kasper contributed a pair of assists in seven games for his country at the 2022 IIHF World Championship in Helsinki and Tampere, Finland. He also captained Austria at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, appearing in two games before the tournament was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. Kasper previously represented Austria at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship, finishing with one assist in four games.
Prior to the start of the 2020-21 season, Kasper moved to Sweden and joined Rögle, where he was a teammate of Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider. Kasper notched one assist in 10 regular-season games before skating in six playoff contests as Rögle clinched a place in the SHL Final. He also posted two goals in six games for Rögle’s under-20 team and eight points (3-5-8) in seven games on the under-18 circuit. In 2019-20, Kasper made his professional debut in Austria with EC KAC II of the Alps Hockey League, picking up two points (1-1-2) in three games. Kasper also compiled 153 points (45-108-153), a plus-111 rating and 40 penalty minutes in 66 games with EC KAC II’s Under-18 squad from 2017-20, in addition to 30 points (12-18-30) in 16 postseason appearances.
Detroit currently has nine selections for the second day of the 2022 Entry Draft: two in the second round (40th and 52nd overall), one in the third round (72nd), three in the fourth round (104th, 112th and 128th), one in the fifth round (136th) and two in the seventh round (200th and 211th).
Update: Carley Johnston spoke with Kasper as well:
The Detroit Red Wings have drafted Marco Kasper with the 8th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
At 8th overall, Red Wings once again go to the SHL: they pick Austrian C Marco Kasper. Speedy, competitive center man playing with Rögle. Was excellent in the playoffs— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) July 8, 2022
With the 8th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the @DetroitRedWings select center Marco Kasper. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/9lmnbZZABK— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) July 8, 2022
With the eighth overall pick in the 2022 #NHLDraft, the @DetroitRedWings select Marco Kasper!#LGRW pic.twitter.com/CzRdmHJw94— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 8, 2022
With the 8th pick in the 2022 #NHLDraft, the #RedWings select…
Center Marco Kasper! ?#DRWDraft x #LGRW pic.twitter.com/DmkFfXmr0E— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 8, 2022
Continue reading The Red Wings draft Marco Kasper 8th overall#NHLDraft2022 @DetroitRedWings select Marco Kasper 8th Overall pic.twitter.com/uCMrlUXduZ— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) July 8, 2022
This makes tons of sense given that Derek Lalonde is not an NHL head coach, and might need some experience behind the bench in managing the defense. Per the Free Press’s Helene St. James:
The Detroit Red Wings are looking at adding former Wings defenseman Bob Boughner to their new coaching staff.
In an interview with the Free Press on Thursday, Lalonde laid out what he’s looking for as he adds a defense assistant to his coaching staff.
“With that D position, I really would love some big-time experience there,” Lalonde said. “Both playing experience and coaching experience. I did not play in this league; I think there’s huge value in that. I would hope to get a guy of that experience to lean on.”
The Detroit Red Wings are streaming their “Draft Party” from Little Caesars Arena this evening…
And Darren McCarty and Neal Ruhl discussed potential Wings picks from the center ice position on the Woodward Sports Network a little earlier today:
This is a great tournament which includes some of the best 2023 NHL draft prospects, and it’s going to be held at USA Hockey Arena this November!
International hockey is BACK in Michigan! ?? ?? ?? ?? ??@USAHockeyArena will host the 2022 U18 Five Nations from November 8-12!
— USA Hockey’s NTDP (@USAHockeyNTDP) July 7, 2022
Lucas Raymond chatted with Bally Sports Detroit’s Natalie Kerwin via Zoom recently:
