Zack Kassian was quite literally standing on the edge of a cliff when the Edmonton Oilers traded for him in December of 2015. If Kassian, who never played a single game for the Montreal Canadiens, couldn’t get his act together with the Oilers, it was likely over for him.
Now, Kassian is preparing to skate next to the world’s best player in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoff Qualifying Round. It’s been quite a turnaround for the Windsor, Ontario native. Formerly public enemy number one in Edmonton, Kassian is now a fan favorite in many corners.
Kassian had a career-high 34 points (15-19-34) in 59 games this past season, his second consecutive season with 15 goals. He’s also emerged as the go-to right winger with Connor McDavid on the club’s top line.
It’s a spot he was in on Monday as the Oilers opened their ‘Return to Play’ training camp at Rogers Place. It’s a spot he knows comes with big responsibility.
“There’s pressure,” Kassian said via video conference. “When you’re playing on the first line of a hockey club, you have to produce. You have to play both sides of the puck, that’s my role. You have to produce, top lines are meant to produce.”
Production in the playoffs is something Kassian is familiar with. In 2017, he scored three key goals for the club, including two major goals in the team’s series victory over the San Jose Sharks.
During that run, Kassian was sporting a new look; mutton chops. The chops are back, with good reason.
“We had some success with them in our previous playoff run,” Kassian admitted Monday. “So, there was no doubt I wanted to bring them back.”
One thing that will be different from 2017? There won’t be a crowd inside of Rogers Place. Edmonton will instead be the hub city for the Western Conference. It will also be the site for the 2020 Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final.
“As hockey players, we just want to play hockey,” Kassian said when asked about living in ‘the bubble’. “The bubble situation is new for all of us. It’s tough to be away from your family, but at the end of the day you only have so many kicks at the can to win a Stanley Cup. This is a little sacrifice to hopefully win the Stanley Cup. As hockey players, I consider us pretty lucky.
“When you go on the ice, hockey is still going to be the game of hockey.”
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
