Is Zack Kassian Worth A Waivers Claim By Calgary Flames?
With Zack Kassian placed on waivers just recently by the Montreal Canadiens, the question could be asked – is he worth a look for the Calgary Flames?
The troubled winger has just recently been re-instated following time spent in an NHL/NHLPA substance abuse program, but he still has some hockey ability and may be worth a shot purely to add a little bit of forward depth for the Calgary Flames.
Calgary Flames fans, of course, know of Kassian from his time with their Pacific Division rivals, the Vancouver Canucks. During this time, he was a thirty point guy across a full season; not groundbreaking numbers but he offered decent physicality, putting up 100+ penalty minutes.
Jiri Hudler and David Jones, right now, are arguably the only two right wingers on the Calgary Flames roster, especially with Michael Frolik suffering a shoulder injury against the Nashville Predators. Obviously, there are options within the organisation, but a guy with an NHL pedigree is surely a safer shot?
With that said though, this is a player with a known substance abuse issue. The Montreal Canadiens took the risk this year and it doesn’t appear to have paid off; is this the guy you want with a lot of young faces in the Calgary Flames locker-room?
Jan 18, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Zack Kassian (9) misses a shot on net against Calgary Flames goaltender Karri Ramo (31) during the third period at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 3-2 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
The first round pick by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft certainly appears to be a bit of a bust but that surely would make him quite cheap to bring in, almost as a rental for someone like the Calgary Flames who are still a chance at the playoffs right now.
The whole scenario presents some dilemmas; do the Calgary Flames backroom team overlook the guy’s history off-the-ice and give him a proverbial ‘second chance’ (arguably his ‘third chance’) or do you just skip on the risk factor and give a youngster ice-time on the right-wing with out-and-out options, they’re looking a bit barren.
Zack Kassian certainly isn’t going to light the world on fire, he likely won’t find ice-time on a line above the third line, but he could add a little depth.
Who knows, a change of scenery and a move to a smaller city and team like the Calgary Flames could help him turn himself around. It’s an option for the Calgary Flames right now, but is it worth the risk?
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What do you think – is Zack Kassian too much of a risk for the Calgary Flames? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.