CANUCKS: KASSIAN FEELS LIKE HE’S ALMOST GOOD TO GO
A minor injury during the NHL pre-season is never a good thing, unless you’re comparing it to an eight-game suspension.
One year ago, Vancouver Canucks’ right-winger Zack Kassian was banished to the sidelines by the league for a careless high stick that shattered the jaw of then-Edmonton Oilers’ centre Sam Gagner. Kassian sat for the final three pre-season contests and the first five of the regular season.
So missing one week during the 2014-15 pre-season with a lower-body issue is hardly stressing Kassian out.
“It couldn’t get any worse than last year,” he said Thursday. “Last year, it was an eight-game suspension, so I am doing a little better, if you look at it that way.”
Kassian, 23, participated in the full morning skate Thursday at Rogers Arena before the playing group departed for Edmonton and Thursday night’s exhibition match against the Oilers. Barring a setback, Kassian will skate again with the full group at Friday’s practice and then suit up Saturday for the Canucks’ final pre-season game.
“Hopefully I am close to playing again,” Kassian said. “I feel good. There was just some soreness, stuff that we didn’t want to (linger). Obviously there is a long season ahead and we want to make sure that I’m healthy. Without a doubt, I think it’s something we can get ironed out before the season starts. You want to be going into Game 1 as fresh as possible, so we wanted to take precautions. It’s nothing serious.”
Kassian has appeared in two pre-season games, the one in Stockton, Calif., that almost nobody saw and the 3-1 victory Sept. 25 in Calgary. He did not collect a point in either game despite three shots on goal. He started both outings on right wing alongside new centre Nick Bonino and veteran Alex Burrows, but head coach Willie Desjardins broke up the unit both nights.
Where Kassian goes from here, given good health, remains to be seen. He has been pegged as a second-liner since the outset of training camp.
“Obviously you want to play and hopefully I can get in on Saturday, leave it all out there and hopefully show well going into Wednesday,” added Kassian. “Obviously it’s been a long summer and it’s tough to get the legs going and tough to read the plays. It comes a lot faster. You work out all summer to come in shape so, hopefully, I can get in one last one and be ready to go.”
Elsewhere in sick bay, checking centre and top faceoff man Brad Richardson skated before the group Thursday, doing drills with skills coach Glenn Carnegie. Richardson suffered an upper-body injury last Friday when checked by the Flames’ Brandon Bollig. He played just 6:58 that night.
According to Canucks assistant coach Doug Lidster, Richardson could practise with the full group today.
“We’ll see how he responded from his skate today,” Lidster said before flying to Edmonton.