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Prospect stock watch - Danielson and Kasper on the rise? |
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Nate Danielson had a strong post season, and you can see his short handed tally up above. Both H2 and myself shared links in the last comment section so it seemed worth another look. Portland is eliminated, but Detroit’s first round picks finished with 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) in 17 games. He’s turning heads and getting some press. The hockeybuzz faithful love this kid (for good reason) and would like to see him report to Grand Rapids.
Marco Kasper has 5 points in 5 playoff games (3g, 2a) tied for second with Czarnik. Berggren leads the pack with 3goals (all game winners) and 3 assists. Marco’s game 1 performance against Milwaukee saw him factor in on 3 of 4 goals scored. Good frame, good skater, and getting some excitement from the fan base.
Articles and blurbs are popping up with Danielson being looked at as a possible 2C in the future. Kasper could well end up being slotted on the wing at times for those days when refs just have to waive a center out of the faceoff dot. Right now, these kids are getting looks from the office and a strong camp/pre season could help speed up development. Danielson is one that really has my curiosity piqued as to whether or not he can leap frog into the organization.
Apart from the highlights and high praise, Grand Rapids is dealing with what feels like a bizarre playoff schedule. After a 10 day wait to start the second round, they now have a 5 day wait to play game 2. Whether this is to do with the AHL buildings being “multi use” (concerts, etc) or just AHL scheduling it seems like it would be tough to maintain momentum with those gaps. Still, with Cossa backstopping 25 of 27 shots the Griffs scored 4 on 14 (1 empty net) and found a win against a Milwaukee team that had just come out of a tough series.
Playoff scheduling aside, let me know your thoughts on “the kids”. There did seem to be some consensus that Kasper would likely start next season in GR and probably be high on the call up list. Danielson feels like the wild card. Still developing physically, he seems to have (buzz word) a high hockey I.Q. The problem is comparing leagues. When European players get asked about the AHL vs. their home squads, it feels like an impossible answer. It’s almost two completely different games. Each pro notch has a similar feeling. ECHL to AHL is a big jump. Any league moving to the NHL is a really big leap. Until you see the player up against the top tier opponents, you don’t really know how they’ll respond.
There’s a lot to look forward to, and unfortunately the Griffs won’t hit the ice again until Monday. Hopefully they are ready to go and a young Danielson will at least be in attendance in some capacity. As always, thanks to all who stop by, you make this blog go and it is always appreciated.
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
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