Player Discussion Zack Kassian

Uindicator

Registered User
Sep 27, 2010
716
212
Ok so to all who are for trading kassian, what do you expect to get back in return? You make it sound like because he’s performing well now we can get a top 6 winger or something?smh and for what to save 2mil in cap space?
How bout we keep a serviceable cheap player who can play up and down the lineup and who’s not afraid to stand up for his teammates. The hate for this guy is mind boggling, reminds me of the hate for Petry , ya let’s trade him for draft picks because we’re so awesome at drafting.
 

KeithIsActuallyBad

You thrust your pelvis, huh!
Apr 12, 2010
71,805
30,723
Calgary
Ok so to all who are for trading kassian, what do you expect to get back in return? You make it sound like because he’s performing well now we can get a top 6 winger or something?smh and for what to save 2mil in cap space?
How bout we keep a serviceable cheap player who can play up and down the lineup and who’s not afraid to stand up for his teammates. The hate for this guy is mind boggling, reminds me of the hate for Petry , ya let’s trade him for draft picks because we’re so awesome at drafting.
If some GM offers you more than he’s worth do you not investigate? Or maybe we should wait until he turns into a ghost again.
 
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FlameChampion

Registered User
Jul 13, 2011
13,524
15,053
I thought he was consistently good 2 years ago. Maroon and him were our most consistent wingers imo. Kassian wasnt good last year, as were the majority of the players on this team. We have had more of the same this year (the Team being held up by a couple players). Kassian started the year poorly but hes been pretty consistent now for a considerable chunk of time. Hes one of the few forwards on this team besides McDavid, Drai, RNH who have been a bit of a bright light.

He has a unique skillset. Tough, can make some plays, great skater.

This team has too many heavy players but imo, so I feel hes a bit redundant on the roster. But the team should be getting rid of players like Lucic not Kassian. Kassian has an affordable cap hit and term for what he brings and hes still much more productive than some of the other heavy players on this team.

I've said it before but the next GM has to do everything they can (within reason) to get rid of the Lucic contract. Getting rid of some of these other heavy players who arent productive will increase Kassians value on this team.
 

fuswald

I'd Be Fired
Dec 10, 2008
3,044
1,826
Edmonton
Reider's bad play goes back to last year as well. Guy literally is doing nothing on this club yet people want to give him some sort of pass?

Oh ya I forgot Reider brings stability to our PK
Reider is history and well earned. Zach could stay.
 

guymez

The Seldom Seen Kid
Mar 3, 2004
32,644
12,154
Kassians strong play continues....had a goal and was the games 2nd star.

RAzxpdY.gif
 

MessierII

Registered User
Aug 10, 2011
27,644
16,188
Leafs are high on Kapanen. Kassian doesn’t even get the discussion strarted.
Doesn’t really matter what the Leafs think of their players they are going to have to trade multiple good roster players for picks and prospects this summer.
 
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noeticfuzz

Registered User
Nov 27, 2011
142
88
What a beauty - love this guy.

Have time for him for days.

For an example of how much guys love him in the room - the only time I think I have seen CMD crack a smile in a post game was tonight with a "Kass was giving me a hard time saying he was setting me up for more goals and I wasn't setting him up for any"...

Need that type of levity around CMD
 
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Yablo21

Registered User
Jul 24, 2006
1,447
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Beersbie
It pretty crazy that through the first part of the season up to the New Year he had a grand total of 2 goals and 1 assist in 36 games. Since 2019 started 31 gm 12 goals and 7 assists. Oh and for the record I was calling for McLellan to put him on the top line a season ago.
 

Canovin

1% is the new 11.5%
Oct 27, 2010
17,384
8,101
780
Doesn’t really matter what the Leafs think of their players they are going to have to trade multiple good roster players for picks and prospects this summer.
Possibly losing 2 of Johnsson/Kapanen/Brown and another player at the expansion draft
 

joestevens29

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
52,498
15,065
It pretty crazy that through the first part of the season up to the New Year he had a grand total of 2 goals and 1 assist in 36 games. Since 2019 started 31 gm 12 goals and 7 assists. Oh and for the record I was calling for McLellan to put him on the top line a season ago.
The problem is we had Kassian on the top line in the past, but he fizzled out. Hopefully he can keep it up this time
 

PaPaDee

5-14-6-1
Sep 21, 2005
13,335
2,093
Saskazoo
When Kassian is playing up to his potential, he’s a very valuable player (size, speed, physical and decent skill). The problem is his consistency. Having said that, he’s one of the guys I’d try to retain for next year, unless there’s a really good offer on the table.
 

Drivesaitl

Time to Drive
Oct 8, 2017
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I guess I just don’t understand what people expect from a $1.9 million player. That’s not much money in today’s NHL.

Quite clearly for a vet 28yr old player that is physically strong enough and fast enough to dominate to be a solid vet and outscorer. The vast majority of his minutes are easy as pie NHL minutes where he should be owning opponents. Yet he has a EV GA/60mins of 3.2 which is deplorable and about the worst on the club. Sure he's knocking in some goals at the moment, but he's sure causing some GA as well like he did in the Buffalo game.

Star players can have this high a GA and McDrai both do, but THEY are going after top rank NHL opposition every game and outscoring. They cover their margin and more against the very best. Kassian see's almost exclusively bottom players in capped league and we know that due to cap, the dropoff on many clubs is severe depth wise. In this shallow pond Kass should be damn good. He rarely is.

Kass is a highly touted first pick, a player that has every intangible required to be successful. We need more from a guy in the lineup all the time than to be a passenger 80% of the time.

Before this recent hot spell Kassian looked very much like a waiver player. For easily the first 40 games of the season he looked like that.
 
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harpoon

Registered User
Dec 23, 2005
14,182
11,328
Kass is a highly touted first pick, a player that has every intangible required to be successful. We need more from a guy in the lineup all the time than to be a passenger 80% of the time
You’re not wrong about the bold. But there aren’t many clubs that ‘need’ more than 25-30 points from a 1.9 million player. The Oilers ‘need’more from this player because their former GM(I won’t mention his name for fear of getting jumped on by the peanut gallery) decimated the roster as far as wing depth goes.

If I may say, I agree that Kassian went awol for a spell there, but I don’t think he’s been a passenger for 80% of the season. It’s an exaggeration imo. More controversially, I’m going to throw out the thought that perhaps the big man was struggling with some of his well documented issues. Recovery isn’t a straight line. Not suggesting that he slipped up or anything because that wouldn’t be fair, but maybe he was having negative thoughts about himself or questioning some things and it seeped into his game.
 

Aerrol

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ
Sep 18, 2014
6,555
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I think, much like Pouliot before him, people need to start looking past draft-position for veteran players and just consider what the player actually is. I didn't like the Kassian pickup, I still don't love his tendency to go over the line with his play, but, frankly, Kassian has been much better for us than I expected. He was just above a waiver pickup and a potential disaster in the locker room. Instead he's been a highly inconsistent physical forward who can do spot duty on top lines, showed up HUGE for our only playoff series win, and is now finally getting it together with some top line minutes again. He's apparently well liked in the dressing room to boot. I'm not saying he isn't frustrating in his inconsistency, but like @harpoon said, what do people want out of a guy paid like a cheaper third liner/expensive fourth liner? I'd say Kassian has played more or less like what you'd expect from that general description.
 

Drivesaitl

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I think, much like Pouliot before him, people need to start looking past draft-position for veteran players and just consider what the player actually is. I didn't like the Kassian pickup, I still don't love his tendency to go over the line with his play, but, frankly, Kassian has been much better for us than I expected. He was just above a waiver pickup and a potential disaster in the locker room. Instead he's been a highly inconsistent physical forward who can do spot duty on top lines, showed up HUGE for our only playoff series win, and is now finally getting it together with some top line minutes again. He's apparently well liked in the dressing room to boot. I'm not saying he isn't frustrating in his inconsistency, but like @harpoon said, what do people want out of a guy paid like a cheaper third liner/expensive fourth liner? I'd say Kassian has played more or less like what you'd expect from that general description.

For clarity I'm fine with Kass and Khaira being up and down players that appear much better at some times, than others, and that struggle with finish or offense, that's all fine. But reasonable players, that are reasonably engaged, when they are struggling, they are still doing the other right things. Still focused positionally, still engaged in system.

My main concern with Kassian, again, is his EVGA, which for a vet is way too high for a player playing bottomsix almost constantly. His weird problem is he forgets any sense of positional play in EV, while being fine in PK. If I'm a coach I'm confronting the disparity of how a player that knows how to play pk is not playing EV well.

I don't much like Remenda but one thing he brings up a lot is how often Kass is on the wrong side of contain in own zone. That he watches and lets a cover player get between him and own net commonly. Which of course contributes to his uncanny EVGA. Really any player that is above 3EVGA/60mins playing bottomsix minutes is playing poorly. That's a stat that shouldn't be happening to a 28yr old vet player against middling opposition.

Its about players being engaged and buying in or not. When vet players check out the team suffers immensely. Kass without a doubt was checked out. Who knows why.
 

Drivesaitl

Time to Drive
Oct 8, 2017
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I hope and believe he has. And you know that Gagner is the sort of person who would accept that apology gladly and move on as team mates.

I'd like to think it has occurred and believe it has. Kass is a pretty thoughtful engaging individual off the ice. Quite reflective. But who knows. A player like Avery, also with some intelligence, is more prone to not admitting, not accepting responsibility and being stubborn in maintaining conflict. I think Kass is different than that. Him and Gagner have also played some minutes together and have certainly supported each other on cycle, and Kass has taken some guys out to create space for Gagner out there. Actions speaking as loud as words, perhaps.
 

Drivesaitl

Time to Drive
Oct 8, 2017
45,296
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You’re not wrong about the bold. But there aren’t many clubs that ‘need’ more than 25-30 points from a 1.9 million player. The Oilers ‘need’more from this player because their former GM(I won’t mention his name for fear of getting jumped on by the peanut gallery) decimated the roster as far as wing depth goes.

If I may say, I agree that Kassian went awol for a spell there, but I don’t think he’s been a passenger for 80% of the season. It’s an exaggeration imo. More controversially, I’m going to throw out the thought that perhaps the big man was struggling with some of his well documented issues. Recovery isn’t a straight line. Not suggesting that he slipped up or anything because that wouldn’t be fair, but maybe he was having negative thoughts about himself or questioning some things and it seeped into his game.

Its interesting that Kassians best play here has occurred when things around the org look a bit better. Chiarelli being fired can only be seen as a positive. I think the entire team was somewhat buoyed by that. But even micro deals like getting Gagner, bringing up Currie have had some small positive influence. Suddenly a somewhat different feel to the club. Of course the return of Klef and Sekera has helped.

I think Kassian is still subject to down times (I don't want to get into that here in the thread) and is impacted by the team or org. In fairness to Kass there was a long spell of "situation hopeless" here. Maybe the sun is peaking out a bit more and some reason to be able to have some hope in the team putting something together here.

I think seeing the positive impacts of even players like Gagner and Currie help a player like Kass to realize that maybe the team can put some kind of competitive formula together. I say this because Kass seems to play best when a team is doing well, and worst when its not.
 
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