Great Red Wings Prospect Too Good For AHL

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

The Detroit Red Wings have a player on their hands who does nothing but work and is far from a "dull boy."

All successful hockey organizations make the most of their drafting and development. Part of that is selecting the right players for the team. The other part is ensuring they develop the right skills to shorten the time it takes them to make the NHL.

Marco Kasper should not be sent down because Todd McLellan knows how to utilize him, and he is producing in that role.

Kasper Is Producing At Elite Rate

McLellan has been the Red Wings' head coach for just over a month. On Monday night, Kasper played 18:38 minutes, the most he's played in a game for McLellan and the second-most minutes he's played in a game all season.

McLellan has unlocked something in Kasper. In his last 10 games, he has 11 points. Over his first 35 games of the year, he had seven points.

During those 35 games, his most common linemates were Jonatan Berggren, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Michael Rasmussen. Over the last 10 games, he's mostly played with Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin.

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On The Same Level As The "Big Boys"

Over the last 10 games, only Larkin and Raymond have produced more points than Kasper. Larkin has 12 points, while Raymond has collected 14. Patrick Kane (8) and Moritz Seider (7) are right behind him in point production.

It is fascinating to look at the NHL over the same period of time. Kasper is right behind Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon in scoring (both have 12 points). Following behind him are Quinn Hughes (11), Mark Stone (11), and Connor McDavid (11).

At this stage of the season, it's safe to suggest that Kasper not be sent down to the minors. He's too valuable to this team and to it's success.

"Jack" might be working, but he's not a dull boy.

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