The Detroit Red Wings announced late Thursday that they have recalled Marco Kasper from Sweden.
That’s a significant move, because Kasper, 18, is their prize pick from the 2022 draft, selected at No. 8. The native of Austria has spent the 2022-23 season with Rögle, earning 23 points (8-15-23), a plus-seven rating and 72 penalty minutes in 52 regular-season games, plus three assists in nine playoff games. His 23 points were the second-most by any skater 20 years of age or younger in Sweden’s top professional league.
The 6-foot-1, 192-pound center also recorded nine points (4-5-9), a plus-three rating and eight penalty minutes in 10 Champions Hockey League games this season.
Kasper will report to the Wings, who have eight games left in their season.
The Wings made the announcement after Thursday’s 3-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, after they had departed Little Caesars Arena for Winnipeg, where they play the Jets Friday.
Kasper played the majority of the 2021-22 season with Rögle, tallying 11 points (7-4-11) and 17 penalty minutes in 46 regular-season games and six points (3-3-6) in 13 playoff games. He was a member of Rögle’s CHL-winning squad in 2022, finishing the tournament with six points (2-4-6) in 12 appearances.
The appeal: Detroit Red Wings’ Steve Yzerman: This is why I drafted Marco Kasper at No. 8
This is what general manager Steve Yzerman said about Kasper after drafting him last July.
“We like everything about the way he plays,” Yzerman said at Bell Centre. “He has good size, he’s a good skater, he’s got good hockey sense. I think he’s a centerman but I believe he can play anywhere at the three forward positions.
“He’s not super flashy, he just make the right play. He can make a pass, he’s got a good shot, can carry the puck up the ice. He’s not flashy, he’s very efficient. He’s really fundamentally sound. He plays very simple — he drives hard to the net, drives down the wing, can take the puck to the net, and also pull up and look for the late guy. He’s an all-around player.”
The Wings saw the debut of their 2021 first-round pick, defenseman Simon Edvinsson, on March 18.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.