Former Edmonton Oiler Zack Kassian hung up his skates for good and announced his retirement on Oct. 26, finishing his career with 203 points and 903 penalty minutes in 661 NHL regular season games. The former power forward spent seven seasons with the Oilers organization, and he’ll forever be regarded as a fan favourite in Oil Country due to his unique blend of physicality, slight scoring touch and willingness to drop the gloves with anyone when he was in his prime.
Yet, Kassian fell out of favour in his dying days as an Oiler, but it was likely because he wasn’t living up to expectations of his lucrative four-year contract worth $12.8 million. His play declined, and he didn’t come close to replicating the 34-point season that earned his big payday and as a result, he was traded to the Arizona Coyotes at the NHL Draft in July 2022.
While many could only speculate what caused his drastic drop in play, Kassian recently gave an honest account of the contributing factors that caused a decrease in his performance in Edmonton.
Kassian Opens up About Not Living up to Contract as an Oiler
Kassian appeared on the “Frankly Speaking” podcast with Frank Seravalli and gave a candid perspective of a player signing a big contract, but failing to live up to the contract’s expectations, and also the fan’s expectations and he confirmed that it was indeed injuries that started to slow him down:
“Obviously, players want to play good, players want to do what they can to help the team win and I think fans don’t realize how much the players actually truly care. We’re not just kicking our feet up and sailing off into the sunset. Obviously, there’s injuries that happen, things that happen throughout the year that put players back and I think that was kind of what happened with me in Edmonton, a couple serious injuries back-to-back, and I just couldn’t get my ground.
It was always tough, especially like I said, I loved playing in Edmonton. I loved the guys there, but like a good friend once told me, it’s better to be overpaid than underpaid, so that gets you sleeping at night at least, but ultimately, I would’ve liked to live up to the contract a little more than I did, for sure.”
– Zack Kassian
When Kassian was at the top of his game, he was a highly effective player; however, after signing his big contract, he only played in a combined 85 games the next two seasons, because of the injuries he sustained.
Kassian Suffered Severe Injuries in Oilers Twilight Phase
The injuries Kassian dealt with after signing his contract were severe, missing 17 games with a broken hand after he fought former Ottawa Senator Erik Gudbranson during the 2020-21 season. Also, he started the 2021-22 season on the injured reserve due to a head injury in a preseason fight, and he alluded that the incident was a major catalyst in his play’s decline, saying, “We had that one in preseason where I hit my head on the ice and I was out cold.”
Related: Oilers Fan Favourite Zack Kassian Retires: A Legacy of Passion
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The fight he’s referring to was when he dropped the gloves with then-Vancouver Canuck forward Zack MacEwen. During the tilt, the former Oiler lost his helmet, and when he was taken down to the ice, he hit his head and was knocked unconscious.
Additionally, Kassian mentioned his difficulty in being the same player after the skirmish with MacEwen, saying, “I think, it’s just the human brain, something happened, it’s like that, or a concussion — knocked out cold, it’s very tough to go back and be the same player. The mind is wired a pretty special way where you just don’t forget about what happened and I think that was kind of the case with me. There was a couple of those, it’s always on the back of your head, can it happen again, can this happen, what if I do this.. you just start thinking a little bit more and the way I play and the way I was at my full potential, I was borderline reckless out there, so, you have a few injuries like that and the perspective changes a little bit.”
Kassian Helped Ignite the Battle of Alberta Rivalry
Revisiting his history with the team, Edmonton acquired Kassian on Dec. 28, 2015, when then-Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli traded goaltender Ben Scrivens to the Montreal Canadiens for the rugged forward. He had a history of off-ice issues and it was his last shot to stay in the NHL. It was a risky bet bringing in a player with a troubled past, but the Oilers needed size and someone to play with a physical edge, especially with youngsters like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the team.
All things considered, it’s safe to say the bet paid off. In total, Kassian played in 412 games in an Oilers’ uniform, tallying 135 points in that span and accumulated 556 penalty minutes. As well, he had many unforgettable moments playing in Edmonton, and his coming out party was during the 2017 Playoffs.
At the time, the Oilers were returning to the postseason for the first time in 11 seasons and in 13 playoff games, Kassian scored a timely goal in Game 2 and the only goal in Game 3 against the San Jose Sharks. Still, it was his physicality during that time that will be remembered most by the Oilers’ fanbase, throwing devastating hits that sent Rogers Place into a frenzy.
Another unforgettable Kassian memory was all the heated battles with then-Calgary Flame Matthew Tkachuk, starting in 2018. The two players would hit, chirp and rattle one another, and would have a war of words in pre and post-game interviews. That said, the feud hit its peak in Jan. 2020 when Tkachuk laid a heavy hit on Kassian, and the former Oiler responded with a flurry of punches and rag-dolled the former Flame. The altercations between both players were beneficial for both teams, as it re-ignited the Battle of Alberta feud.
Now retired, Kassian has etched a permanent place in the hearts of Oilers’ fans and he alluded that he’ll always remember his time playing in Oil Country, having said, “I’ll always cherish my time in Edmonton, the fans, the players, coaches, it was truly my best time in the NHL.”
What’s your favourite Zack Kassian memory as an Oiler? Have your say in the comments below!