Edmonton Oilers: Zack Kassian Thankful, Hopes for Extension

The Edmonton Oilers knew they were taking a risk when they traded Ben Scrivens to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Zack Kassian. They were taking a chance on a player everyone had given up on, even after he completed rehab and moving up a level in the NHL’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health program.  Now, after some time in Edmonton, it’s fair to conclude that the Oilers and Kassian are a pretty great match.

It looks like the Oilers have found a player that can fill out the roster on the bottom six, and that Kassian has found a team that he really loves and one that can also help him return to the form he was in prior to his battle with alcoholism. That form is 10-15 pounds lighter than he was when he was a member of the Vancouver Canucks, as well as more fit and agile. He’s also almost a different person.

“I came here with a completely different mindset,” Kassian told the Vancouver Sun. “I’m happy. It’s a blessing to get to play with this group. I think I fit in really well. If I can keep my head on straight and stuff, I think we have something special moving forward.”

What is going to happen “moving forward” exactly? Well, it looks like the Oilers will have to consider inking Kassian to an extension. This would mean investing in a forward who is still recovering, but one who has proven to play with grit and effort, while also showing his potential to slot in as a winger on the bottom six.

No matter where he plays, he has one job, and that is to bring his physical game, and his size and grind, to the ice.

“He’s done a real god job of painting and living a real good healthy life. That’s real important,” head coach Todd McLellan said. “There’s times where he’s very active around the puck in keeping plays alive, and then there are others where you look for a little more from him. I see him grinding it out in the corners and fulfilling that role in a bottom-six position.”

Kassian has seven points and 86 PIM through 28 games with the Oilers this season. The team is also 12-13-3 with him in the lineup, and surely, you can see the impact he has had and the size he has brought to the lineup. With him, along with the addition of other fellow tough guys like Patrick Maroon, the Oilers are stacking up and making themselves bigger and scarier. They are also letting the NHL know that they are ready to start playing tough hockey. The new Oilers are coming soon.

Now, as the season comes to an end, and Kassian’s contract needs to be looked at, he is hoping for an extension and a chance to improve on his second-chance to stay in the NHL. Kassian notes that everything that happened is behind him, and that this new beginning is exciting for him.

“It’s a blessing… for where I am now,” Kassian said. “You look around the room at all the skill in here, the new rink [Roger’s Place]. The future’s so bright. I’m excited to get the opportunity.”

Apparently, the feeling is mutual from the Oilers coaching staff and front office. McLellan points out that he likes what he sees in Kassian and sees a lot more potential, and that he hopes that this will be a player he can re-sign.

“I’ve like the things he’s brought to the table. There’s a lot to play for in the Oilers world, in the NHL world and in their careers. A lot of judgements will be made. Zack will be no different,” McLellan told the Edmonton Sun. “We’ll sit down at the end of the year and we’ll figure out if he can continue to fit. And he has to figure out if he thinks he can fit with us as well. Right now, I think it’s been a good marriage.”

If you want my two cents, I think that he is definitely wroth resigning. From what I see game in and game out, he always plays with 100 percent effort and skates hard for all the time he is out there (roughly 12 minutes a game on average).

Next: Edmonton Oilers: Zack Kassian's Journey, From Rehab to Fan-Favorite

Not to mention, he brings a tough physicality and an aggressive gritty attitude to the table, but he seems to be one of the guys in the locker room that brings out the best in his teammates. You can see in videos, photos and behavior that he is one of the members (along with Hendricks) who high-fives his teammates before the games, waits for them all to go out and also cheers them on each and every shift. That’s a guy I want on my roster.