How Marco Kasper May Still Earn a Roster Spot Even after AHL Assignment

Marco Kasper did everything he could to demonstrate he belonged in the NHL: forechecking with intensity, killing penalties with ease and nearly scoring twice during Friday night’s two goal showing against Ottawa – yet Detroit sent Kasper back down to Grand Rapids Sunday afternoon! At first glance, Detroit appears to be preening their prospects before thrusting them into the NHL – much like Simon Edvinsson did last season when his preseason performance resulted in most of it playing time being spent in AHL instead of NHL. But Kasper may not actually spend the season in Grand Rapids after all; some off-ice business needs to wrap up first. Right now, Detroit has 28 players on its preseason roster; five will likely make the move down once their waivers clear. Red Wings still awaiting Austin Watson contract Holl, 32 years old and making $3.4 Million AAV annually was put on waivers Sunday to facilitate his assignment to Grand Rapids. Though still required to pay him his contract amount it won’t count against their cap hit total. Detroit can reduce Holl’s cap hit by $1.15 million, increasing Detroit’s potential cap space from $198,194 to over $1.3 Million and providing enough room to sign Watson a contract. Detroit Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland’s preseason roster moves are reaching the finish line, as he announces plans to send Watson down to Grand Rapids after signing an official contract. For now, though, Detroit can only send Watson on an Initial Player Training Offer contract; once signed permanently the situation will change dramatically. Detroit could send Watson down in order to call up Kasper. Kasper could potentially have earned himself a roster spot during training camp. Because Watson is waiver exempt, Detroit may decide it’s easier and quicker for them to send him down in order to make room for Watson on their roster. Kasper could find himself assigned to the AHL just due to business catching up to what’s needed on the ice. While these speculations might materialize into actionable plans in Detroit, no guarantees should be placed upon any particular option here; take what information as reliable for what purposes. At this busy time of the year, general managers need to take multiple measures in order to maintain cap and roster compliance. When making initial roster moves it’s wise to be patient in your evaluation of potential roster moves. Sometimes these complications lead to difficult circumstances; otherwise Kasper is NHL ready and likely awaits his call-up soon. Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde cautioned observers not to place too much stock into opening night roster projections because much can change throughout a season. Lalonde stated, “Grand Rapids is two hours away; by Christmas time we will have played 33 players. Maybe that is an old school way of operating; 20-25 years ago teams would make players right from day one of tryouts. ” Reality be damned; our roster will likely feature roughly 15 forwards and 10 defensemen over time; it should be fascinating to watch their progression over the coming weeks! “Recent stories on THN Detroit include: * Red Wings place Holl on Waivers* Breaking: Red Wings Lower Roster to 28 Multitude of Roster Moves Reduce Red Wings Roster to 41 Its Role Versatility Brings NHL Within Reach for Red Wings’ Top Prospects Red Wings-Maple Leafs Lineups and Where to Watch Jack Campbell Joins Player Assistance Program Three Takeaways from Detroit Red Wings’ Preseason Finale Loss against Toronto Maple Leafs; Finally Three Takeaways from Detroit Red Wings Preseason Finale loss against Toronto Maple Leafs.”