It's pretty disgusting, actually. People are ready to declare Patrick Kane the worst person ever for a false accusation and yet this idiot actually puts people's lives in danger due to his selfishness and it's "WELL BOYS WILL BE BOYS"
People have been very defensive about Kassian since the 2011-12 season. I feel that the appreciation for him as a player has been completely irrational, but the predominant narrative is that he has always been a victim. The Hodgson-Kassian trade was initially questioned, but the assumption was that Kassian brought grit and size that the 2011-12 Canucks required in the aftermath of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. He debuted in a Canucks uniform with a goal, three shots, and seven hits in 10:40 of ice time at home against the Sabres. Canucks fans immediately crowned him as "the next Bertuzzi." He fought, hit, and looked like a grizzled, fearsome player. He faded, but then came back strong at the start of the 2012-13 season and was labeled a "crowd favorite." The desire for fans to see him as a player similar to Todd Bertuzzi blinded many to the reality. I personally have never understood the comparison with Bertuzzi.
Since then, what I have seen is a player who has been extremely inconsistent in his play; instead of being a physical presence as he was expected to be, he decided that he would like to be a large finesse player. Last season he had 82 hits in 42 games, and the season before that he had 91 hits in 73 games. Meanwhile, there have been occasional flashes of offense, but not to a sufficient degree. Fans have blamed coaches for not putting him in the right position to succeed, but he has not done enough nor improved much since joining the Canucks to warrant playing ahead of some of the team's other offensive players; he has been given chances in the top six, and has contributed adequately in that role at times, but not well enough at other times.
When he was traded to Montreal, I did not see it as a huge mistake as others did. He will be 25 years old in January, and his development appears to have stagnated since his early days in the NHL. Fans have become defensive about his play and his development, stating that he is still young. I have seen very little improvement in his game, and he remains a one-way finesse player who under-utilizes his physical traits.
An unwarranted "Cult of Kassian" has developed, and those who have become emotionally attached to this player have time and time again come to his defense. When there were allegations about his off-ice behavior in the past, many defended him. Some stated their opinion that this was normal behavior for people his age. I think Kassian needs help to conquer whatever demons he has. His on-ice performance does not deserve the love it has received, and I don't think he will ever elevate his game to the standard that some believe he has already reached. He needs love and support in his time of difficulty, though; I do not know if this is an uncontrollable issue or simply the result of being irresponsible, but either way he needs to come out of this in greater control of his life and as a mature individual.
Whether or not his troubles have affected his on-ice performance and development in the past, it is important that fans realize that he needs help to steer his life in the right direction.
