Following a prolonged scoring slump, Detroit Red Wings forward Marco Kasper has looked more and more like his old self.
Considering the second half of his rookie campaign in 2024-25, there were naturally big expectations for Detroit Red Wings forward Marco Kasper entering his sophomore campaign.
While he scored in his second game of the season, what followed was a prolonged scoring drought that went far beyond the dreaded sophomore slump that multiple players in the NHL have experienced.
Despite his scoring drought, Kasper has been one of the most physical players on the roster, and currently leads all Red Wings players with 111 total hits; defenseman Ben Chiarot is second with 102.
However, the good news is that Kasper has recently appeared completely rejuvenated.
Not only has he returned to the scoresheet, but he has also looked quicker, made more plays, and resembled the version of himself that led all first-year skaters with 17 goals from January to April last season, while also finishing fifth overall in rookie scoring during that span.
"It has been different over the last three weeks, maybe right around before Christmas, I thought his game was coming then," head coach Todd McLellan said of Kasper's play. "There was still the talk about the slump and not point producing. And while we need him to do those things, we were okay with his game. He was playing hard, he was really skating, and there was, and still is, a tenacity to his game that wasn't there earlier."
"Just his involvement around the group verbally and (his) body language and teammates, you can tell he's got a lot more pop in him than when it wasn't going really well for him," McLellan said.
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As part of Detroit's 4-2 victory on Friday over the San Jose Sharks at Little Caesars Arena, Kasper scored his first goal since Oct. 30; he also registered a highlight-reel assist on J.T. Compher's goal during the second period.
He then added another assist in Detroit's 4-3 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday evening, giving him three total points in his last two outings.
“Just staying with it every day,” Kasper said on Friday about how he kept a positive attitude amidst the difficult slump. “Just coming to the rink, prepare to work, work hard in practice, work hard in games, do little things right and just stay on top of that.
“I’ve watched video trying to improve things. Every time I go on the ice, I try to improve by a little bit, and just keep working hard.”
The Red Wings will need Kasper's production, which he has shown he's capable of delivering, if they are to maximize their chances of bringing Stanley Cup Playoff hockey to Detroit for the first time since 2016.
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