Poor excuse. Kassian mailed it in last year from day one, long before the Oilers were out of it. Dude didn't score a goal for nearly 2 months to start the year. Pure garbage all season. Played like a guy who got his contract and knew he was set for three years.
Kassian's **** play falls squarely on his shoulders. Not the team being out of it, not the penalty kill. 100% Kassian.
While I think it's 100% fair for you to say that I noticed from the moment he showed up that he plays better when the team is playing well. I have a feeling he would have had a better season if the team wasn't in shambles.