Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Marco Kasper

Detroit Red Wings Recall Marco Kasper, Elmer Söderblom

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Although a formal announcement never came from the team, the Detroit Red Wings reassigned youngsters Marco Kasper and Elmer Söderblom to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, before the 4 Nations Face-Off break for cap-related reasons. As expected, the AHL transactions site confirms Kasper and Söderblom have been returned to the NHL roster.

It’s been a tale of two seasons for Kasper during his first full year in the NHL. The Innsbruck, Austria native only mustered two goals and seven points through the first 35 games with an -11 rating averaging 14:06 of ice time per night. His possession metrics were uniquely good (approximately 50.0% CorsiFor% at even strength) for a poor possession team like Detroit, however, his 3.8% shooting percentage had many wondering if he should return to AHL Grand Rapids to continue developing.

New head coach Todd McLellan moved Kasper to the first line in early January and the former eighth overall pick has run with the opportunity. He’s scored seven goals and 13 points in his last 15 games for Detroit playing next to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond with his shooting percentage jumping off the page at 23.3% in that stretch. Kasper has inarguably benefited from being next to the Red Wings’ top two forwards but his newfound confidence could prove a boon to his overall development.

Söderblom has primarily been relegated to AHL minutes this season having received his call-up in mid-January. The physically imposing 6’8″, 246lbs Sweden has added more size and offense to the Red Wings bottom-six throughout the call-up with two goals, three assists, and 20 hits in nine games.

Afternoon Notes: Red Wings, Ostapchuk, Flames

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings received a handful of reassuring injury updates at Monday’s practice, all documented by Ansar Khan of Michigan Live. Most notably, backup goaltender Alex Lyon returned to practice in full and is expected to return for Wednesday’s game against Philadelphia. Lyon has been out of the lineup since suffering an undisclosed injury at practice on November 27th.  He’s missed eight games. Cam Talbot is also making his way back to full health but isn’t expected to return until Friday. Talbot has missed five of Detroit’s last six games.

The Red Wings could have their top two netminders back to full health by this weekend, finally relieving them of their crisis in net. Ville Husso stepped up as the team’s starter in the absence of Talbot and Lyon, but did little with the role – posting a 1-2-2 record and .894 save percentage. His poor performances paved the way for top goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa to make his NHL debut – relieving Husso on December 9th after he allowed three goals on the first seven shots. Cossa allowed two more goals but banded together with Detroit’s scorers to win in a shootout. It was a promising performance for the 22-year-old Cossa, though it’s clear Detroit prefers him as the AHL starter. That role will be easier to ensure with Talbot and Lyon finally returning to full health.

Khan also shared that forward Marco Kasper is dealing with an illness and will be questionable for the team’s Wednesday game. Kasper has seven points and 12 penalty minutes in 25 games this season.

Other quick notes from Tuesday practice:

  • The Ottawa Senators have sent forward Zack Ostapchuk to the minor leagues. The move appears to be a paper transaction to help accrue daily cap hit during off-days. Ostapchuk will likely be recalled ahead of Ottawa’s Tuesday game against Seattle, giving him a chance to continue searching for his first NHL goal. He has recorded two assists and one fighting major in 16 games this season – his only scoring or penalties through 23 career games. Ostapchuk has also recorded eight points and 10 penalty minutes in nine AHL games this year.
  • Both Jakob Pelletier and Walker Duehr have been returned to the NHL roster, after being assigned to the AHL for Calgary’s off-day. Both players could step back into the lineup when Calgary hosts Boston on Tuesday, after winger Andrei Kuzmenko left the team’s Tuesday practice early, per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. Kuzmenko is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, and missed Saturday’s game. Pelletier and Duehr are both on a quest to earn full-time roles in the NHL, serving as two of Calgary’s top prospects and minor-league standouts for the last few seasons. Pelletier has scored two points in five NHL games this year, while Duehr has one point in 16 games.
  • Flames goaltender Daniel Vladar returned to the team’s practice on Monday, shares Steinberg. Vladar missed Calgary’s Saturday game due to a lower-body injury, and has since been designated as day-to-day. He’s platooned starts with Dustin Wolf, narrowly beating out the rookie in games played with 16 to Wolf’s 15. Vladar has posted a 6-6-4 record and .885 save percentage in his performances, while Wolf has managed a 9-5-1 record and .915. That imbalance could soon push Wolf into the starter’s role, and return Vladar to the Flames’ backup spot where he spent the last three seasons.

Red Wings Recall Marco Kasper Under Emergency Conditions

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Red Wings announced this morning that they’ve recalled center Marco Kasper from AHL Grand Rapids under emergency conditions. No corresponding transaction is needed with an open spot on the 23-man roster. Still, the move suggests an injury or other absence is pending for one of Detroit’s 12 forwards on the active roster, who all suited up in last night’s 5-2 loss to the Rangers.

Kasper, 20, was the eighth overall pick of the 2022 draft, a class that’s yielded just two players with more than an entire season’s worth of NHL experience thus far in Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovský and Utah’s Logan Cooley. The Austrian center went a tad ahead of his expected 10th-20th overall range, and he still needs to continue developing his offensive game if he’s going to warrant that high of a selection. He’s on the right track to start this season, though, posting a goal and an assist in two games for Grand Rapids after being limited to 35 points (14 G, 21 A) in 71 games in his first campaign with the farm club last season.

The one-time Champions Hockey League winner with the Swedish Hockey League’s Rögle BK has just one NHL appearance to his name so far, logging nearly 15 minutes with a shot on goal and three hits against the Maple Leafs on April 2, 2023. All indications point to him adding to that total against the Predators tomorrow.

Nonetheless, Kasper remains an extremely cerebral center with the defensive upside of a reliable bottom-six pivot in a worst-case scenario for his development. He was one of Detroit’s final cuts from training camp and should get multiple looks in the NHL this season, even if he doesn’t establish himself as a full-time roster fixture until next season or beyond.

Atlantic Notes: Canadiens-Senators, Guhle, Red Wings

at CDT | by 1 Comment

No supplemental discipline is expected after a flurry of controversial hits and injuries in last night’s Canadiens-Senators preseason tilt, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.

The fireworks started late in the first period when Ottawa forward Ridly Greig elevated his arms to lay a blindside hit on Montreal center Kirby Dach, receiving an interference minor and briefly knocking him out of the game. Dach would return, but that didn’t stop Habs defender Arber Xhekaj from charging Sens star Tim Stützle with a similar hit midway through the second period, earning himself an interference major and a game misconduct. He also received matching minors with Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk after the play. Neither Stützle nor Tkachuk returned to the contest with upper-body injuries, per the team.

Dach and Greig brawled during the third after the former returned to the game. Both players received fighting majors and 10-minute misconducts. Dach also received an extra minor for interference on the play. The Xhekaj hit on Stützle was likely most prone to a potential suspension. Still, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety believes the game misconduct assessed on the play was appropriate on its own.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Staying with Montreal, defenseman Kaiden Guhle is skating in a regular jersey at Wednesday’s practice, per Engels. It’s the first time he’s done so since having his appendix removed at the beginning of training camp. The 2020 16th overall pick signed a six-year, $33.3MM extension to remain a Canadien for the long haul in July, but he’ll still play out this season under the final year of his entry-level contract. The Edmonton native has quickly established himself as a top-four defender, averaging 20:51 per game last season and adding 22 points (6 G, 16 A) with a -8 rating in 70 contests.
  • Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde is “very impressed” with how forward prospects Nate Danielson, Marco Kasper, and Carter Mazur have performed in training camp, he told The Athletic’s Max Bultman. “They’ve kind of played into my optimistic vision of them,” he added. “I like all three. I think I’ve stated that quite a bit over the last year, year and a half, and they’ve done nothing to disappoint.” The trio are still long shots to make the opening night roster with some crowded roster math working against them, but it’s clear they’ll be at the top of the list for in-season call-ups and should each get at least a few NHL reps this year.

Snapshots: Lindholm, Maple Leafs, Austria

at CDT | by 4 Comments

One of the free agents that the Canucks lost in free agency this summer is center Elias Lindholm.  Acquired early in the season from Calgary, the veteran ultimately inked a seven-year, $54.25MM contract with Boston.  In an interview with Hockeysverige’s Ronnie Ronnkvist, GM Patrik Allvin indicated that Vancouver tried to keep the 29-year-old but ultimately couldn’t afford to bring him back.  Lindholm is coming off a down season that saw him notch just 44 points in 75 games (after putting up 64 and 82 points in the prior two years) but given the high demand and low supply of centers, he was able to land another long-term agreement at a considerable raise.  Ultimately, Vancouver elected to fill Lindholm’s salary slot with a pair of former Boston wingers in Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen.

More from around the hockey world:

  • While the Maple Leafs shook up parts of their roster this summer – particularly on the back end – there was no big change among their core group. GM Brad Treliving defended that decision in an appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link), stating that “I know sometimes people fall in love with ’let’s make a big change just to make a big change. But at the end of the day, you can go out and make big changes, if they’re not making your team better, to me it doesn’t make any sense.”  While no major trade was made, Toronto did add Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the back end and with Mitch Marner and John Tavares now on expiring contracts, they’ll have the cap flexibility to make a big change if they want to next summer.
  • Austria’s roster for the upcoming Olympic Qualifying Tournament was announced There are no active NHL players on it with Marco Rossi taking a pass to focus on preparing for training camp next month.  However, a pair of top NHL prospects are on the roster, Canadiens blueliner David Reinbacher (fifth overall in 2023) and Red Wings forward Marco Kasper (eighth overall in 2022).

Atlantic Notes: Kasper, Edvinsson, Canadiens

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Red Wings prospect Marco Kasper spent most of last season playing with Rogle in Sweden before making the trek to North America once his campaign over there came to an end.  That won’t be the case this season, however, as the forward told Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News (Twitter link) that he will report to AHL Grand Rapids if he doesn’t earn a spot with Detroit this fall.  Kasper was the eighth overall pick last year and had eight goals and 15 assists in 52 games in the SHL before making his NHL debut with Detroit in early April.  The Red Wings have brought in several forwards this summer to reshape their group so it’s quite possible that Kasper will have to bide his time in the minors this season.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Still with the Red Wings, defenseman Simon Edvinsson will not be ready to participate in training camp as he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery, relays Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now. However, he should be cleared by the time the regular season starts.  The 20-year-old spent most of last season in Grand Rapids, notching five goals and 22 assists in 52 games.  The 2021 sixth-overall pick also got into nine games with Detroit where he tallied his first two NHL goals.  With Edvinsson not being available for camp, it seems likely that he’ll be ticketed for the Griffins at least to start the season.
  • The bulk of the moves that the Canadiens have made in the last couple of years have been moving out veterans and in doing so, cleaning up their cap situation. Despite that, GM Kent Hughes told Pierre LeBrun and Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link) that the impetus for the moves isn’t to try to become a player in free agency soon.  Instead, the focus is on creating openings for their young players to get a chance to develop.  Last season, Montreal had five rookies play at least 39 games on the back end and with the trades of Rem Pitlick and Mike Hoffman, there are now a couple more openings for their younger forwards to try to fill.

Atlantic Notes: DeBrusk, Peksa, Red Wings

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Independent Boston Bruins reporter Joe Haggerty surmises that Brandon Hagel’s recent eight-year, $6.5MM AAV extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning likely sets the table for Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk’s next deal. The circumstances surrounding DeBrusk are a bit different, however. Not only is DeBrusk two years older than Hagel, but he’s slated for unrestricted free agency next summer – a threat Tampa wasn’t facing with Hagel, at least not imminently.

The two players have performed relatively similarly over the past two seasons. DeBrusk has 52 goals and 92 points in 141 games since 2021, while Hagel has 55 goals and 108 points in 158 games. Both have shown the ability to be high-end complementary players to stars in the top six, and Hagel was paid as such this week. With DeBrusk, however, it seems more prudent for the Bruins to wait it out and see how he starts the season without David Krejci or Patrice Bergeron to serve as his center. If DeBrusk’s production trails off with decreased support down the middle, the Bruins could very well trade DeBrusk or let him walk to UFA if his ask is similar to Hagel’s.

Elsewhere from the Atlantic Division today:

  • It appears Toronto Maple Leafs goalie prospect Vyacheslav Peksa will be staying in North America, according to The Score’s Kyle Cushman. There had been some conflicting reports on whether the Leafs would loan Peksa back to Russia for 2023-24 – Peksa himself told Cushman earlier this summer he anticipated staying in Toronto (with the AHL’s Marlies) this season, while assistant general manager Hayley Wickenheiser told reporters at development camp that Peksa would be loaned out. Peksa, a 2021 sixth-round pick, posted a sparkling .921 save percentage and 2.34 goals-against average on a struggling Bars Kazan team in the Russian second-tier VHL last season.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have announced their roster for their first event of the 2023-24 league year – their annual prospect tournament held in Traverse City. On offense, they’ll have 2022 and 2023 top-ten picks suiting up in Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson, among others. 2021 first-round selection Sebastian Cossa will also participate between the pipes.

Marco Kasper Likely Out For Season

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Detroit Red Wings received some disappointing news on Wednesday regarding one of their young prospects. According to head coach Derek Lalonde, forward Marco Kasper is unlikely to play for the remainder of the season due to a lower-body injury.

The news is a setback for Kasper, who was hoping to finish the season strong during his first NHL call-up. It also represents a missed opportunity for the Red Wings to evaluate one of their prospects at the NHL level, albeit for a short time.

Kasper, still just 18, was selected by the Red Wings as the eighth overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft. The Austrian-born forward had been playing with Rögle BK of the SHL this season before coming to North America, where he tallied eight goals and 15 assists in 53 games of league play. Kasper played 14:59 in his NHL debut against the Toronto Maple Leafs last Sunday before leaving the game late.

Detroit is not yet mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, but as they’re able to finish the season with a maximum of 89 points, their playoff hopes are essentially zero. Kasper will now try to gain some stability and comfortability with the Red Wings during training camp in a handful of months, hoping to contend for a roster spot in 2023-24.

Roster Notes: Meyers, Wedgewood, Kasper

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Colorado Avalanche announced Ben Meyers has been called up to the NHL roster. The 24 year old is playing his first full pro season after a great college career at Minnesota and has split that time between the AHL’s Colorado Eagles and the Avalanche. Though he has played well at the minor-league level, Meyers has struggled with the Avalanche this season.

In 20 AHL games, Meyers has scored six goals and 24 points, but in 33 NHL games he has just one goal and is yet to register his first NHL assist of his career. The Avalanche will use Meyers as a depth part as they try to claim the top spot in the Central Division. There is currently just one point separating the first-place Minnesota Wild from third-place Dallas Stars with Colorado currently holding on to the second seed with just seven games to play in the regular season.

  • Speaking of the Dallas Stars, they announced Scott Wedgewood would return to the lineup today after a long absence. The veteran goaltender has been out of the lineup since February 18 with a lower-body injury but is finally ready to return after missing six weeks. He has played 18 games with the Stars this season, posting a 2.92 GAA and a .913 SV%. He will be in goal when the Stars face the Nashville Predators tonight.
  • Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News reports Marco Kasper is dealing with a lower-body injury and he is currently listed as day-to-day. Kasper, the Red Wings first-round draft pick last June, just made his NHL debut on Sunday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 18 year old played 14:59 in his debut and had one shot on goal, but he may have to wait a few days before he gets into the second NHL game of his career.

Marco Kasper Coming To North America

at CDT | by 5 Comments

March 31: Late last night, the Red Wings officially recalled Kasper from Rogle, meaning he’ll immediately join the NHL team instead of reporting to the minors.

March 29: The Detroit Red Wings organization is getting a little stronger in the coming days, as Marco Kasper is set to come over from Europe now that his SHL season has ended. His club, Rogle, reports that Kasper will join the Red Wings “as early as this week,” though he didn’t specify whether he’ll go to Detroit or report to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.

Kasper, 18, was the eighth overall pick in the 2022 draft and scored 23 points in 52 regular season games for Rogle this season. In nine playoff games, he added three points, and will now get a chance to make his professional debut on this side of the pond.

Since he already signed his entry-level contract, Kasper is eligible to play at either level – and since the Red Wings only have nine games remaining, there’s no threat of burning the first year of his deal. The young forward can get his feet wet and then play full-time in North America next season, if the Red Wings deem him ready.

Otherwise, his contract with Rogle extends through 2024-25, and he could return to Sweden for another year of development. Either way, he has done nothing but impress since being drafted so high, and looks like another future star for the Red Wings to bring along.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top