In his own words, and through his thick European accent, Marco Kasper sounds like Steve Yzerman's kind of guy. Almost like Steve Yzerman himself.
"I'm a competitive player, I really want to win," Kasper said Thursday night in Montreal after the Red Wings drafted him eighth overall. "Good playmaking skills, good hockey sense, good skating ability, a solid 200-foot player. And I think it's a really good team here with the Detroit Red Wings."
In time, it certainly could be. Kasper is the next block of the Red Wings' rebuild, a smart, smooth-skating center who could one day slot in behind Dylan Larkin. Yzerman said Kasper can "probably play all three forward positions," but the Wings drafted him where they happen to have a long-term need.
"We don't have a lot of centers within the system," Yzerman said. "Don't want to say he's absolutely going to be a centermen, but that's what we feel he is."
Kasper, who turned 18 in April, spent the past two seasons playing against men in the Swedish Hockey League. He said the challenge pushed him to a "higher level." He reached a higher level still in 13 playoff games this season when he helped Rogle BK nearly reach the finals. Like the man who drafted him, he does not back down.
Red Wings director of amateur scouting Kris Draper and his staff liked Kasper all year. His playoff performance may have sold them. Yzerman said it "was really encouraging for us." The GM is trying to build a team that will thrive when the hockey is hardest.
"My competitiveness in the playoffs, I just really wanted to win every game," Kasper said. "I think my competitiveness can translate to the American game."
Yzerman thinks it will, too. At 6'1, Kasper has the size and snarl to play through his opponents. And the speed and smarts to stay a step ahead of them. Yzerman said he likes "everything about the way he plays."
Yzerman also thinks there's more offense in Kasper's game than he gets credit for. He thinks the Austrian has "underrated skill." Some scouts wonder if Kasper is more of a third-line player in the NHL. Yzerman, who has proved scouts wrong in the past, sees a much higher ceiling. He envisions Kasper playing in the Red Wings' top six.
"He's not super flashy with backhand toe drags and 'The Michigan' and all that stuff. He just makes the right play," said Yzerman. "He can make a pass, he's got a good shot, can carry the puck up the ice. It's just not flashy. He's very efficient."
Kasper scored seven goals and 11 points in 46 games last season -- again, as a 17-year-old playing against men. Lucas Raymond scored four goals and 10 points in 33 games in his age-17 season in the SHL before the Wings drafted him fourth overall. A year later, he scored 57 points as an NHL rookie.
It doesn't mean the same thing is in store for Kasper, though, like Raymond, he will likely spend another season in Sweden before coming to North America. It just means that Kasper's offensive potential might be higher -- much higher -- than his current level of production. He plays what Yzerman calls a "very simple" brand of hockey that allows him to create offense in various ways.
"He drives hard to the net, he'll drive down the wing, he can take the puck to the net, he'll also pull up and look for the late guy or he'll find the guy through the seam. Again, I think he's an all-around player," said Yzerman. "He's a different player than a Pavel Datsyuk who has all those incredible moves, but it doesn't mean he's not a really skilled guy."
Kasper already has his eyes on Detroit, where he knows his future team is forming a promising young core. He's next in line in a procession of talented prospects from the SHL to LCA. Wearing the winged wheel on his chest, he said he wants "to get to the NHL as fast as possible and help the Red Wings win."
That sounds good to Yzerman, who likes too many aspects of Kasper's game to narrow it down to one. Asked to name Kasper's best trait, Yzerman smiled and said, "He's a Detroit Red Wing now."
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