Zack Kassian Part IV - No Jimmies, No Rustle

[vanuck]

Of course neither did Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Radim Vrbata, Alex Burrows, Nick Bonino, Chris Higgins, Shawn Matthias, Brad Richardson, Jannik Hansen, Bo Horvat, Ronalds Kenins, Alex Edler, Chris Tanev, Dan Hamhuis, Kevin Bieksa, Luca Sbisa, Frank Corrado, Adam Clendenning or Ryan Miller.

That's pretty far down the list of his biggest sins so far this year.

Maybe just maybe WD likes Vey and Dorsett not because they played for him but because they listen, work hard, progress as players and do as asked? Perhaps it isn't a "Hey they were Medicine Hat Tigers with me and I will sprinkle them with kisses and gift them icetime" but rather "Hey I'm happy to have these guys because I know they will come to work every day with their lunch buckets and I can trust them."

I was only half-joking tbh, but when you consider that both Vey and Dorsett are worse players than Kassian and yet he's the one being scratched...

 

[stuffradio]

I was only half-joking tbh, but when you consider that both Vey and Dorsett are worse players than Kassian and yet he's the one being scratched...

Dorsett hasn't been playing worse than Kassian. Vey I can agree with. Dorsett actually skates hard, hits, and scores every now and then. Who knows who Vey does. Kassian just floats and takes dumb penalties.

 

[TheWanderer]

For all the complaining about Vey as an Even Strength player, I don't remember him taking dumb penalties and he is just as bad, or perhaps marginally better, than Kassian defensively (at least he moves his feet. Kassian LITERALLY just stands in the slot and waits for a pass. He might as well be on the other end waiting for a breakaway pass, then he might be of some use)...

Vey has 11 ES points to Kassian's 6. Most of those points came with Dorsett and Hansen back when Horvat was injured and hadn't made the team yet, and many of them came IN KASSIAN'S PLACE with Matthias and Richardson while he was injured. He's put up a few whenever he played with Higgins and Bonino (whenever Burrows was out), but not very many.

Vey has outproduced Kassian with the same or worse (though it's hard to say Hansen and Dorsett are worse than Matthias and Richardson, really. Pretty close.) linemates, so I really wish people would stop saying Vey's production all comes from the gifted PP minutes and he sucked even strentgh as if it were some kind of defense for Kassian, who by now should have at the very least re-established chemistry with the guys he played the latter half of last season with... meanwhile Vey has been bounced around the roster and played center or wing.

But no, let's **** on the guy who has played with discipline and effort, and fits wherever we need to put a guy, because he -in the eyes of some- has taken a roster spot from a player who has been unproductive, undisciplined, and puts out an image of lazy that the coach doesn't want seen on his team anymore.

For reference, Vey (the rookie) and his 11 ES points is ahead of all the D-men, Kassian, and various call-ups. Vey and Horvat are even in this regard, and are both rookies. Kassian, while the same age as Vey, is below the D-men (who are doing a pretty bad job of putting up points this year).

The only defence for Kassian against Vey right now is hindsight - shouldn't have rushed him into the NHL. There's nothing else you can say about it; Kassian has been a bag of pucks this year.



EDIT: my eyes played a trick on me, Horvat also has 11, not 10.
Also, I realize that Kassian has played 26 games to Vey's 46. That still puts Vey ahead of Kassian in this regard, without putting the lazy label on this team. Horvat, meanwhile, has put up his 11 in 36 games. Way better than either of these players.

Might as well add: Dorsett has 12. Double Kassian's, playing with Vey, Hansen, Horvat, call-ups, etc. He also plays the way we'd like Kassian to. He even makes better set-up plays than Kassian has. I never would have expected this going into the season, and it took a while to warm up to this notion, but Dorsett is playing way better than Kassian and desesrves to be in the line-up over Kassian any day of the week.

 

[Jimson Hogarth*]

He also plays the way we'd like Kassian to.

Speak for yourself. I don't want Kassian playing anything like Dorsett.

 

[TheWanderer]

Speak for yourself. I don't want Kassian playing anything like Dorsett.

It wouldn't be ideal, but it would be a hell of a lot better than throwing a bag of pucks on the ice which is essentially what you get with Kassian.

 

[BROCK HUGHES]

why has he not just been sent to Utica,to get some playing time?

 

[TheWanderer]

Waivers?

If it's Kassian's effort (motivation?) at question, sending him to Utica isn't the answer.

The best thing for Kassian is a fresh start on another team at this point. The only problem is he has no trade value.

If I were Kassian, I'd demand to be traded by the deadline. In his shoes, I wouldn't give a **** if demanding a trade hurts my trade value - stick it to the Canucks. Some GM WILL bite. Just say to the media - I need a fresh start, I need to play hockey.

Maybe Benning will make coach give him ice-time, tell Kassian to play well to make himself desirable to some team. Then he'll play, and I bet you he plays with fire.


Kassian isn't going to accomplish anything here. He's in a rut, but he's still young enough that he shouldn't be.

 

[PancakeHero]

I was only half-joking tbh, but when you consider that both Vey and Dorsett are worse players than Kassian and yet he's the one being scratched...

Do you even watch Kassian on the ice? He literally stands still waiting for a pass. I want my team to check and back check ferociously. Kassian does neither of these things. That's attitudinal. He either gets it or he doesn't. Until he does, **** him.

 

[TheWanderer]

If I were looking for someone to pass to, I wouldn't pass it to a guy standing still, even if he was open. That is how you kill a transition game.

This is why Kassian has been benched. He doesn't move his feet. Literally.

 

[PancakeHero]

If you had an on-ice line of 5 cloned Dorsetts vs 5 cloned Kassians, my money is on the Dorsetts.

 

[rune74]

If I were looking for someone to pass to, I wouldn't pass it to a guy standing still, even if he was open. That is how you kill a transition game.

This is why Kassian has been benched. He doesn't move his feet. Literally.

You need to go back n this thread and actually watch a couple videos of kassians games, you have this idea of what he does in your head and its clouding your judgement.

Also, vey playing more games and only getting 5 points is a plus for vey and a negative for kassian? The guy was injured then benched...not much he can do about that.

Also, how can anyone complain about his effort in the last two games he was involved, hitting and created hornets goal. Sure there were penalties, but you get those with bigger players, those you can work on.

 

[m9]

Dorsett has been much better than Kassian this year, one of the few guys that brings it every night.

If Kassian is back in tonight, hopefully he can step up and play well. He had one of his better games of his career against the Pens, correct?

 

[Huggy]

If you thi k dorsett passes better than kassian youre outright legally blind.

dorsett is incapapable of passes and if the definition of hitting along the boards to keep the puck alive, his shot is good, but no he cant pass better than zack, he does move his feet though.

issue with kassian is the guy thinks he has all the room in the world out there when its a faster game everyday, make plays fast and he can bring back his 30 in 70 form last year

 

[TheWanderer]

Nothing here is clouding my judgement. If you ask me, as a Canucks fan it sucks balls that the two players we are arguing over are Vey and Kassian... I'd kick them both off the team for one young player who actually belongs in the NHL. The fact that no GM in the NHL would make that trade with you should be an indication of how bad both of these players are.

Look, Horvat and Kenins are both playing way better together than either of these players have all season, and they're doing it while this team is in a tailspin comparable to that of last season. We bring in Dorsett for a 3rd rounder and he's better than either of Vey or Kassian...

You can say the exact same thing of both of these guys - young players, same age, hopefully they put things together and become good players. They both offer things we need, and also leave a lot of things to be desired. Kassian is getting benched because Vey has a better attitude and hustles - Willie has come out and said it's about team image.

Even in those two games (a whopping two games, one we lost, and one against Buffalo, his former team, and a terrible one at that), he stood around in the defensive zone. Vey is crappy defensively, but he's improving. Kassian doesn't give a **** defensively, and just stands there. If you can't see that, there's no point in having ANY discussion with you.

 

[Amused To Death]

Do you even watch Kassian on the ice? He literally stands still waiting for a pass. I want my team to check and back check ferociously. Kassian does neither of these things. That's attitudinal. He either gets it or he doesn't. Until he does, **** him.

We have a team full of backcheckers. And we suck. What's wrong with having one person on the team that doesn't?

 

[PG Canuck]

Speak for yourself. I don't want Kassian playing anything like Dorsett.

I think, maybe he means in regards to worth ethic. Or so I hope...

 

[arsmaster*]

I just hope he's effective. Like he was his last game.

Dorsett's effort masks his lack of effectiveness. I don't want Kassian running around getting himself out of position. I'd rather him continuing to stack up as the high forward on the forecheck as opposed to taking himself out of position.

Too many people would rather see the boards rattle and chase back hard than being in a good position. It's laughable the extent this "clueless defensively" thing can go. As if kassian doesn't back check.

Anyways. If he's in tonight I hope he can make some plays.

 

[PancakeHero]

If you thi k dorsett passes better than kassian youre outright legally blind.

dorsett is incapapable of passes and if the definition of hitting along the boards to keep the puck alive, his shot is good, but no he cant pass better than zack, he does move his feet though.

issue with kassian is the guy thinks he has all the room in the world out there when its a faster game everyday, make plays fast and he can bring back his 30 in 70 form last year

Yeah, he's a great passer, but so what? He hasn't even done much of that this year. He doesn't back-check and most of the time he is literally standing still. He is a defensive liability and that loses hockey games.

 

[PancakeHero]

We have a team full of backcheckers. And we suck. What's wrong with having one person on the team that doesn't?

Our team doesn't suck. They are a middle of the road team. What's wrong is that it's bad for the team game. If one person on a line isn't doing their job then it results in less pressure on the other team. Kassian doesn't have great speed. He has some good play-making ability (when he moves his feet). He doesn't even look like he's trying half the time. That's a tumour for the team. Unless his attitude undergoes a sea-change, then **** him.

 

[PancakeHero]

Dorsett has been an unsung hero for the Canucks ALL season long. His value currently to the Canucks is miles ahead of Kassian's. You put Dorsett's attitude into Kassian and you have a superstar.

 

[DadBod]

We don't have to put down Dorsett to make an argument for Kassian. Dorsett has been x10 times the player Kassian has been, but that's because Dorsett hangs it all on the line. If Kassian gave the effort Dorsett does, it's a no brainier who'd be the better player.

 

[Scurr]

But trying too hard might ruin Kassian's effectiveness and turn him into Dorsett. Working hard is for plugs... not skilled guys like Kassian.

 

[Another Empty Netter]

I thought the ' power forward' position takes a few years to figure out, like defense or goalies who need more maturation time.

 

[Mofletz]

Dorsett has been an unsung hero for the Canucks ALL season long. His value currently to the Canucks is miles ahead of Kassian's. You put Dorsett's attitude into Kassian and you have a superstar.

True.

 

[Bleach Clean]

We don't have to put down Dorsett to make an argument for Kassian. Dorsett has been x10 times the player Kassian has been, but that's because Dorsett hangs it all on the line. If Kassian gave the effort Dorsett does, it's a no brainier who'd be the better player.

What if I told you that even with Dorsett working his butt off, Kassian is still effectively the better player... by a lot. Could you reconcile this fact?

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He "worked hard" in his last 2 games before getting scratched. Got to be something else at play.