The Detroit Red Wings pulled a bit of a surprise late Thursday night, recalling former 2022 first-round pick Marco Kasper from his loan spell in Sweden.
Kasper did not play in Detroit's 6-2 loss on Friday to the Winnipeg Jets. The Austrian forward is dealing with an upper body injury, according to Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde.
However, Kasper is with the team as they continue their Canadian road trip. And the 18-year-old is settling in with his teammates for the remainder of the season.
“It's been really cool,” Kasper said Friday before the game in Winnipeg. “I got to know the team. Everybody is super nice and welcoming. It's been really fun the last couple of days.”
The Red Wings selected Kasper 8th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft last July. He played this season for Rogle BK in the Swedish Hockey League, racking up eight goals and 32 points in 52 games.
Kasper comes to North America after Rogle BK were eliminated from the SHL Playoffs. He won the Austrian Player of the Year earlier this month, becoming the youngest player to win the award.
The Red Wings prospect did mention the differences between the NHL and SHL version of the game as a big obstacle. Namely one specific aspect of the game.
“Because (the ice is) smaller, there's more battles, I think,” Kasper said. “I gotta get used to being in the corners more and hard stick battles.”
There is no word when Kasper will make his NHL debut with the Red Wings. Detroit travels to Toronto for a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday, which would be the 18-year-old's next chance to crack the lineup.
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