For as much as I like to criticize the Yzerplan at times, it's also landed success stories with just about every one of its first-round picks. Marco Kasper is no exception to that rule. And although he enjoyed a good rookie campaign that foreshadows an even better sophomore season and so forth, Kasper seems to have everything down to a science.
For one, he knows how to tackle his offseason program. Recently, Kasper said, “At the beginning of the offseason, you always focus on getting bigger and stronger so that’s a big part of it. I’m trying to improve my shot even more so that I’m more dangerous offensively. Otherwise, it’s just trying to get a bit better in all those small details. That’s what’s important at this high of a level.”
That's exactly what you want to hear from the 2024-25 Red Wings Rookie of the Year. While Kasper looked like a seasoned veteran toward the end of the season, I think we forget that, overall, his rookie campaign was solid from a numbers standpoint, but not something I would call spectacular.
He scored 19 goals and put up 37 points across 77 games, but that productivity sailed north and he became a force for a waning team that needed one as the season aged.
Marco Kasper sounds like he's taking this offseason one phase at a time
Kasper still has more room to grow into his 203-lb frame, so focusing on size and strength early this offseason was what you wanted to hear from him. Give him another five or 10 pounds of muscle, across maybe another two offseasons, then focus purely on adding strength, and you're going to see some high-level, three-zone play from the former first-round pick.
I'm also interested to see Kasper on the ice come September during the preseason, just to see what he does with his shot. He already showed potential with those 19 goals last season that came with a 13.1 shooting percentage.
Again, it could've been better, and Kasper knows that. But there's no denying he was off to a good start as he picked up more on the speed, demands, and level of play the NHL brings. Give him a full offseason to work on his shot and another full season in Hockeytown, and there's a good chance the Wings'll have another high-octane scorer in the top six.
Kasper also isn't phasing out the 'little things' that lead to wins and monster results
Fine-tuning every detail of your game, even those the average fan might miss, will ultimately make or break a hockey player. Yeah, they can pack on size and strength and yeah, they can improve their shot all they want. Heck, they should be doing both every time the summer rolls around.
But fine-tuning the small details? That's what separates one-dimensional players from those who give opponents headaches in all three zones. And for a player like Kasper to understand that now, it should give you a little more faith in the Yzerplan - as hard as faith is to come by in the plan at times - if other players are saying and doing the same.
So, I don't want to make any predictions yet, since that's worth saving for another tale. But wow, you can't help but think Kasper might just skate into Hockeytown next season and enjoy a breakout sophomore campaign.
