In an interview with an Austrian newspaper, Marco's dad Peter revealed that the Buffalo Sabres would have made a very serious offer to acquire the eighth overall pick, one spot ahead of their own draft rank, and thus have the opportunity to select the young prospect.
However, the Red Wings, who selected eighth overall, beat the Sabres to the punch by drafting Kasper, a player highly coveted by GM Steve Yzerman. One spot later, the Sabres selected center Matthew Savoie, who had a 90-point season with the Winnipeg Ice in the Western Junior League.