More than two years after he last wore an Edmonton Oilers jersey, Zack Kassian is back with his longtime team. On Saturday (Sept. 21), the Oilers announced several additions to its hockey operations staff, including Kassian as pro scout.
Edmonton also hired Aaron Nagy as amateur scout, Erik Elenz as video and analytics coaching coordinator, Dominik Zrim as director of hockey strategy and David Evanochko as lead solutions architect. Warren Rychel, who has been with the team the last two seasons as a pro scout with the team, was promoted to Oilers director of pro scouting.
Warren Rychel has been promoted to #Oilers Director of Pro Scouting, Zack Kassian has rejoined the organization as Pro Scout & the team has also added Aaron Nagy, Erik Elenz, Dominik Zrim & David Evanochko to their hockey operations staff. https://t.co/4dLnIszPbN
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 21, 2024
Kassian rejoins Edmonton, a team he was part of from 2015 to 2022, appearing in 412 regular season games and 317 playoff contests.
Kassian Expected to Focus on Ontario
News of Kassian’s return to the Oilers organization first broke on Wednesday (Sept. 18). While the Oilers did not elaborate on Kassian’s role as pro scout, reports suggest that his focus will be on players in Ontario, where he currently resides.
Related: Oilers Fan Favourite Zack Kassian Retires: A Legacy of Passion
The 33-year-old ostensibly fills a void left by the departure of Jason Pietrzykowski, who served as pro scout with the Oilers from 2022 to 2024 before being hired by the Pittsburgh Penguins in August.
After playing for the Arizona Coyotes in 2022-23, Kassian announced his retirement from the NHL last October. He made a brief comeback last winter, playing eight games with HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga before leaving the club due to personal reasons.
Kassian Found a Home With the Oilers
A 6-foot-3 winger, Kassian was drafted in the first round, 13th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in 2009, but it would take the power forward several years before he would find an NHL home in Edmonton.
After appearing in just 27 games with the Sabres, Kassian was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks during the 2011-12 season. He spent parts of four seasons with Vancouver, but only once played more than 42 games in a season for the Canucks. On July 1, 2015, they traded Kassian to the Montreal Canadiens.
Kassian would never suit up for a regular season game with the Habs. During the 2015 preseason, he was involved in a car accident that left him with a broken nose and fractured foot. Kassian wasn’t driving the vehicle but was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine at the time. He was suspended without pay and placed in the NHL’s substance abuse and behavioural health program.
After completing the program, Kassian was reinstated by the NHL. Montreal placed the forward on waivers, then traded him to the Oilers in exchange for goaltender Ben Scrivens on Dec. 28, 2015.
Kassian Is a Big Part of the McDavid Era
Kassian joined the Oilers in the midst of Connor McDavid’s rookie campaign, and is a big part of “the McDavid era” in Edmonton. Only Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse have played more NHL games as McDavid’s teammate than Kassian. He also skated regularly on a line with McDavid, providing a bit of physical protection for the superstar centre.
There were ups and downs on the ice in Edmonton for Kassian. He had consecutive 15-goal seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20, earning himself a four-year contract extension worth $12.8 million. But he only managed eight goals combined in 2020-21 and 2021-22, when he at times would be left out of the lineup as a healthy scratch.
But the best thing about Kassian’s time in Edmonton was that he was able to put behind him the demons that led to the forward hitting rock bottom in Montreal. In the years after, he spoke candidly about overcoming substance abuse and maintaining his sobriety.
While Kassian’s inconsistent play drove many in Oil Country mad, Oilers fans also fell in love with the big forward: they’ve always had a soft spot for their team’s tough guy, and Kassian played that role longer and better than anyone in Edmonton since Georges Laraque.
His tenure with the Oilers came to an end on July 7, 2022, when he was dealt to the Coyotes, but by that point, he’d become a certifiable “Oiler For Life”. When Kassian returned to Rogers Place to attend an Oilers playoff game against the Canucks during the 2024 Playoffs, he received a tremendous reception.
Now he’s back with the organization in an off-ice role, and judging by the reaction to the news of his hiring, many feel he’s back where he belongs, as a part of the Oilers.
