Through the Red Wings first 20 games, Kasper recorded just three points. During that stretch, McLellan noted that Kasper “was not the same player.” With Kasper on the ice, Detroit generated fewer points and fewer shot attempts. There was a buzz that Kasper would be sent to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins for a reset.

Even with the offensive struggles with Kasper, McLellan chose to stick with him and let him play his way out of the wicked slump. Kasper did his best and showed good resilience, and used his physical play and strong two-way play to navigate through the slump. That has proved to be and intestine but wise decision from the coaching staff.

Last night vs the San Jose Sharks, Kasper broke out, netting a goal, one assist, and two points with 14:33 minutes of ice time. He looked like the player from a year ago, and his confidence, which has been growing, grew even more as the game moved along.  Showing grit and fighting through higher expectations, mental fatigue, and inconsistent play shows what type of player Kasper is and can be.

The patience the Red Wings have shown shows they somewhat expected a slump in play, but they also understood that even with a slump, Kasper needed to be on the ice. It could be viewed as a bold strategy or a savvy one, sticking with a slumping player. The key for Kasper now is to continue to strive for consistent play, which is now on a path to do. His overall play kept him in the lineup, and as he finds his scoring touch, it will do nothing but make sure the Red Wings stay in the playoff hunt.