Detroit Red Wings forward Marco Kasper acquired by the Anaheim Ducks in surprise 2022 re-draft
Photo credit: NHL.com
The Detroit Red Wings forward Marco Kasper was acquired by the Anaheim Ducks in a surprising 2022 re-draft made by The Athletic's Scott Wheeler.
While some argue that the 2022 NHL Draft wasn't one for the ages, some good players definitely emerged in that year, such as Logan Cooley, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Lane Hutson.
On their part, the Red Wings decided to draft Marco Kasper with the eighth overall pick, a player who has a lot to prove despite showing promising skills early into his career.
But according to Wheeler, the Wings should've taken someone else.
Wings Draft Denton Mateychuk In Scott Wheeler's Re-Draft, Kasper Goes To Anaheim
Every year, Wheeler re-evaluates the draft class from three years prior, using updated projections and development trends to re-rank players.
In this year's version of the 2022 re-draft, he made a notable change: Detroit, who took Kasper at No. 8, would now select defenseman Denton Mateychuk instead.
Drafted 12th overall by Columbus in real life, Mateychuk has since emerged as one of the top young defensemen in his class.
Last season, he scored 13 points in 45 games with the Blue Jackets, while adding 25 points in 27 AHL regular season games and five points in five playoff games.
Wheeler believes his game has elevated to the point where he belongs well inside the top 10 of his draft class.
That change would mean the Red Wings pass on Kasper, creating an opening for Anaheim at pick No. 10.
The Ducks end up with a potential top-six center, while the Red Wings solidify their blue line.
Both teams still come out ahead, just in a very different way than they originally did in 2022.
Kasper is also a promising player. He scored 37 points in 78 NHL games in his rookie season.
Both players will play important roles for their teams, but it's interesting to imagine how things would be if the draft had happened differently.
Previously on Red Wings Insider
| POLL | ||
AOUT 7 | 484 ANSWERS Detroit Red Wings forward Marco Kasper acquired by the Anaheim Ducks in surprise 2022 re-draft What 2022 NHL draft choice by Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings would've been better? | ||
| Denton Mateychuk | 48 | 9.9 % |
| Marco Kasper | 275 | 56.8 % |
| Both are even | 72 | 14.9 % |
| I'm unsure | 89 | 18.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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