(WXYZ) — The Detroit Red Wings selected center Marco Kasper with the eighth overall pick in 2022 NHL Draft on Thursday night.
Kasper, a native of Austria, had 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in 46 regular-season games with the Swedish Hockey League. He entered the 2022 draft ranked fifth among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
"He probably could play all three forward positions, but we drafted him as a center man," Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman told ESPN. "We think he has underrated skill, and we think he has the ability to play in our top six one day, I can't tell you if it's next year or the year after, but we have high hopes for him and we're very excited to pick him."
Kasper served as Austria's team captain at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship in December, playing two games before the tournament was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.
"I'm so excited to be selected by such a great organization and franchise, and I'm really excited to go to Detroit," Kasper said in a social media video message to fans.
