Oilers Kassian Has to Play on the Edge, but not Beyond

National Hockey League players accept the risks associated with the game of hockey when they step on the ice. It’s a decision made time and again by talented athletes, willing to take chances with their bodies in order to play a game they love at its highest level.

When the Edmonton Oilers; Zack Kassian dropped the gloves with the Vancouver Canucks’ Zack McEwen, he might have expected a black eye, but while the odds of serious injury in a hockey fight are rather low, the unfortunate result left him in the league’s concussion protocol. Still the question is worth asking: Was there any point in Kassian dropping the gloves at that moment?

We’re not going to get into whether or not fighting belongs in hockey, the number of fights per season has steadily declined, and is likely to continue that trend. The point here is Kassian, who is paid to do more than bruise his knuckles, could use his skillset in other, likely better, ways. The former first round pick is an elite skater, a skill that makes him a dogged and successful forechecker.

And while his results vary based on his linemates and minutes, he can also score. He kills penalties, disrupts the cycle with well-timed bodychecks, and makes opponents hesitate just by being out there on the ice. With such a diverse set of skills, why does Kassian routinely default to fighting or taking penalties? We’ve acknowledged his offensive skill, but he definitely goes through hot and cold periods, and it may be that he feels pressure to make a difference when the puck isn’t going in the net.

Kassian’s temper is also well known. His famous rag-dolling of the Calgary Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk is just one example of his fiery reactions. And while Oiler fans loved to see the Flames’ pest get something of a comeuppance, Kassian received a suspension for those actions, and the team was without his services for the following to games.

Edmonton is a better team with a healthy and productive Zack Kassian in the lineup, and as he ages, his physical style of play will more than likely lead to injuries and an eventual decline. Oilers GM Ken Holland bet on the 2017 version of Kassian, who took over a game back in the Stanley Cup  Playoff series against the San Jose Sharks, appearing more often than the behavioural liability he has also been known to be.

Kassian needs to find the sweet spot between spinning his wheels and taking penalties, between mentally intimidating opponents with the potential for violence and wasting time and energy fighting fourth line bubble players like McEwen. He can be a vital piece of a team challenging for the Cup, but only if he can ride that edge with success.

One hopes his recent injury isn’t a serious one, and he can return to take his spot on opening night, October 13th, versus those very same Canucks. Kassian’s NHL career already has an impressive redemption arc, but he’ll need to find his way once again if he doesn’t want his story to end.