OILERS’ VALUE JUMPS
Franchise now worth $520 million
Zack Kassian is really starting to become an aggravating pain in the neck.
Finally.
The abrasive and hard-skating winger who left a giant footprint on almost every game he played down the stretch and in the playoffs last year is trying to make a comeback.
After a very quiet start, the former public enemy is back to playing the style of game that had fans at Rogers Place chanting his name last season.
It’s not just the offence — although he has five points in his last four games after four points in the first 23 — it’s the aggressive forecheck, the breakaways, being hard on the puck and his opponents and the role he’s had in transforming Edmonton’s fourth line into a driving force again.
“I’m hounding more,” said Kassian. “When I’m at my best I’m kind of rambunctious, jumping plays and kind of hard to read.
“At the beginning of the year, I was maybe trying to be safe or make a perfect play rather than just go and make stuff happen. I had some talks with a couple of coaches and it’s starting to come around. There’s still room for improvement but definitely it’s getting better.”
When Kassian is being Kassian, the Oilers have a much better chance of winning because he can make an impact in a variety of different, and often unpleasant, ways. He’s a hard guy to play against and he can make things happen around the net.
“He’s been doing that lately,” said McLellan. “Forget about the scoring. The forecheck, the energy he gives off that his teammates can feed off of has been a positive thing for our team.”
Kassian knows he needs to play on the edge, without letting the wires touch, in order to be effective. It’s not easy being that guy all the time, but it’s necessary and when he’s at his best, few players in the league do it better.
“That’s what I have to do to be successful, it’s no secret,” he said. “I’ve been around the league long enough that I know what’s going to keep me around and what’s not.
“In an 82-game season, it’s definitely hard to do that night in and night out, but right now it’s definitely working for us.”
Whatever he and the coaches spoke about, Kassian is taking it to heart.
“I know that he had a good conversation with (assistant coach) Jim Johnson,” said head coach Todd McLellan.
“Jimmy shared some of his thoughts with Zack and I think he got him thinking about a few things. His linemates are playing significant roles in the game as well, which helps him.”
It might not be much of a coincidence that Edmonton’s recent surge (3-1 in their last four) is being helped along by Kassian’s fourgame point streak.
And in the two games since he’s been reunited with Mark Letestu and Jujhar Khaira, the line’s combined for 10 points.
“You saw it against Toronto, their minutes went up,” said McLellan. “I don’t believe in first, second, third or fourth lines and you have to roll them out like that. You go with your gut, who’s playing well and who isn’t.
“In that Toronto game they did get scored on a couple of times but they had a pretty good night (generating three goals themselves). If they continue to play well ahead of other players they’ll get more minutes.”
The bottom half of the Oilers lineup had been a black hole for a good 20 games there, offering little in the way of offence or energy, but it is coming to life when they need it most.
“Being down on the third or fourth line you’re going to get a lot of different linemates but it’s one of those things right now where we really seem to be clicking,” said Kassian.
“Our strengths come off our skating. Me and Juje are getting in on pucks, the D don’t want to go back and get it.
“And once we get the puck we’re strong on the cycle and we can make plays. I think it all starts with skating and physicality, though.”
Khaira admits seeing Kassian turn up the intensity level is very contagious.
“That’s true all over the lineup,” he said.
“When one guy is going other guys want to be going as well. If one line is going, the other lines want to be going. Everybody wants to contribute every night.”