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Red Wings reportedly considering AHL reset with a once-deemed 'standout' forward
Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Once considered a legitimate standout forward, the Detroit Red Wings are considering an AHL reset for the former 2nd-line center.
The former Detroit Red Wings 2nd-line center and Calder Trophy nominee, Marco Kasper, could be on track for a reset in the AHL, despite a strong 2024-25 season, which saw him center both Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, scoring 37 points (19-18).
He performed exceedingly well for the Red Wings in the latter part of the year, scoring 14 points (9-5) in his last 18 games of the year.
The Red Wings thought they had found their 2nd-line center in Kasper, but they hadn't.
Kasper's reunion with DeBrincat and Kane was predicted to be one of the team's best this year. However, it fell flat, as the trio would be split up earlier in the year due to the inconsistency of the young center.
With the Austrian-born forward demoted to the third line, he has not returned to the promising production we saw in 2024-25.
In 27 games, he's been moved up and down the lineup by Todd McLellan in the hopes it sparks production, but he has only produced 3 points (3 G) this season.
Kasper's slump has us concerned.
This kind of news is troubling for Kasper, which might require the team to consider other measures to find his game again.
That could include sending him back down to the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins, the ultimate demotion.
Could the Detroit Red Wings demote center Marco Kasper to the AHL?
Doing so might be an unpopular idea, but it could allow him time to focus on his game and find his confidence again.
It'd also be a chance for the Red Wings to call up another prospect to get a long look in the NHL and get an idea of how the talent is developing in the AHL.
Kasper is now up to 16 games without a point, raising the question of when the team might ease off the leash and send him down to Grand Rapids, where several other forwards have played well enough to deserve an NHL look.
While giving Kasper some time in Grand Rapids could give him a chance to work on his weaknesses, the team could call up Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who scored an assist in his first nine games back in the AHL.
Or once healthy, they could call up forward Carter Mazur, who has been out dealing with a lower-body injury.
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