A Breakdown Of Zack Kassian

How do you know a wannabe sports blogger is off work with an injury? Check the time spacing between their posts! 


How does one describe Zack Kassian's initial impression with the Vancouver Canucks? Underwhelming, pathetic, waste of a roster spot, no... None of those sound quite right.

Let's try another one. How about, "Work in Progress"! That one sounds much better, and probably most accurately describes Kassian's role in Vancouver. Unfortunately because acquiring Kassian came at the expense of Cody Hodgson, expectations were that he would contribute immediately.

Kassian's 2011-2012 NHL Stats; Stats are over 44 GP
Courtesy of Yahoo!

Looking directly at Kassian's stats, they are not overly impressive for this season. If he would have started the 2011 season in Vancouver chances are he may have spent the majority of the year in the American Hockey League much like his trade counterpart Cody Hodgson's first year of pro hockey.

The 6'3" 214 pound forward is experiencing what many go through in their first year of pro. A difficulty adjusting to playing a faster game against experienced men. Kassian was a man among boys in junior, who's pure physical ability made producing offensively a bit easier.

Kassian has been able to show glimpses of great talent at the pro level this past season. In the AHL he was producing at a 0.870 points per game clip, and even though success at the American Hockey League level is not the best indicator of how talented of an NHLer a player will be (I'm looking at you, Krog), it is still impressive.

Kassian also never really got a fair shot in the Canucks line up. He spent the majority of his games in Vancouver on the fourth line, aside from a stint with Ryan Kesler and David Booth and a short time on Henrik's wing while Daniel was injured. 

Now being that he played on the fourth line mainly in Vancouver, was his production here really that bad? Not really. Kassian was producing at a 0.180 level in Vancouver (0.230 overall), let's compare that to the other fourth line winger's point per game numbers:

Dale Weise: 0.120

Aaron Volpatti: 0.040

Manny Malholtra: 0.230

Although Manny isn't really a winger, he did play wing on the fourth line and took defensive zone draws from time to time. Albeit these players play in different styles, but their ice time was fairly similar. Zack's point production was good enough for second on that list, even though he was being shuffled around the lineup and adjusting to a new team and city. His actual season point per game number was identical to Malholtra.

Now, points per game clips don't really measure effectiveness on the ice. Zack's game was not what many Vancouver fans expected, mainly because we traded a player in Hodgson who was producing now for a project power forward who was not quite NHL ready.

Last year's performance is exactly that, last years. Vancouver fans should be looking forward to what Kassian can bring to the table next season. He's got the right attitude, and wants to get better for the team. A team which hypothetically could have a major opportunity for him next season.

As mentioned in a previous blog post, Kesler is out for the start of the season. This could mean 5'9" forward Jordan Schroeder could theoretically start the season as the team's second line center. 5'9" is incredibly small for the NHL, so it will be important to protect Schroeder with big wingers. Big wingers however, are useless if they don't have talent. So who do the Canucks have that is big and has talent? Well, David Booth is probably a lock to start the season.

Then who else does Vancouver have  with size and talent? Nicklas Jensen is one choice, but weather or not the youngster is NHL ready is yet to be determined. That leaves Zack Kassian, who if he plays the way he does in the AHL and in Junior has top six talent with a mean streak bigger than most. That would leave a line that looks like this:

Booth - Schroeder - Kassian

Not a bad line at all if Schroeder and Kassian can play to their potentials. Two big powerful players who have pretty decent speed, flanking for a small shifty center with a decent shot and good play making ability.

Jordan Schroeder: Opportunity Awaits

With Ryan Kesler set to miss roughly the first month and a half of the season after having shoulder surgery, the Canucks have a glaring hole up the gut in the top six. Kesler's production may have been lower this season, but the top six is still a lot weaker without him. 

So who will step in and take the opportunity? It sure wont be Cody Hodgson, the former tenth overall selection who was traded to Buffalo for Zack Kassian at the trade deadline. Most likely it will also not be Maxim Lapierre or Manny Malholtra, both of which are known for their bottom six duties, not offensive ability. Andrew Ebbett could be a potential fill in for a top-6 roll, but he seems to be better suited to a depth forward position with the club.

So who could be left? Recent draftee Brendan Gaunce will probably return to junior, and unless the long awaited Roberto Luongo trade brings in a top six center, there's really only one option, Jordan Schroeder.

Lots of fans are quick to judge Schroeder's performance in the American Hockey League. The diminutive Schroeder's first AHL season (2010-2011) saw him playing at a 0.460 points per game clip with the Manitoba Moose over a span of 61 games (10 goals, 18 assists). This past season (2011-2012) saw a vast improvement in Schroeder's game, scoring at a 0.580 points per game clip over 76 games with the Chicago Wolves (21 goals, 23 assists).

Fans are quick to critique a former first rounder scoring at a 0.580 points per game, but the highly praised "future of the franchise" Cody Hodgson also scored at 0.580 pace in his final season in the American Hockey League.

Another benefit to trying Schroeder on the second line to start the year is his improved two-way game. Which in a fairly recent province article he attributed to working with coach Craig McTavish

This year, with coach MacTavish, he helped me a lot, adding stuff to my game, trying to make me a better all-around player 

Schroeder's improved two way game is reflected in his plus/minus, which went up from a -7 to a +8 in just one season. 

Hopefully, with the glaring opportunity, Jordan is anxious to train over the off season and comes in to impress at training camp. Last season Schroeder showed glimpses of brilliance in the the pre-season with goals such as this against the flames (video by CanucksHD):

 

If Schroeder can put his natural offensive talents together with his new found two-way game, he will be the front runner to fill in for Kelser at the start of the season, and possibly for the third line roll if Malholtra cannot regain form from the eye injury. If he plays to his potential, his small stature will be forgotten, and will be an exciting player in Vancouver.

Top 10: Modern Awesome Canuck Let-Downs

10)Byron Ritchie

Although Byron did essentially live up to his premise, if you watched him play it was lack luster every time. Byron was a good guy, but his play didn't ever seem NHL calibre.

Mika Noronen, what a devilish grin

9)Mika Noronen

Imagine this, the Canucks are going through Goaltender issues. They acquire a goalie who is said to have starter potential. This mentioned goaltender goes on to play four games and is never heard from again.

8)Jason King

After a decent season mainly playing with the Sedins on a line coined the “Mattress Line” in 2003-2004, King floated around on the Moose until his rights were eventually traded to the Ducks in exchange for Ryan Shannon.

7)Jason Krog

The AHL superstar had always been a little bit of a let down in the National Hockey League, but that didn't stop fans from getting excited to have him. Unfortunately he lived up to his own promise, and didn't do well at the NHL level yet again.

Reid with the speed

6)Brandon Reid

Reid had speed to burn, so much speed in fact that many thought he would be an amazing player in the NHL. His diminutive stature however, did not fit the NHL at the time. The Canucks decided to once again sign him in 2006-2007 to see how he would do in the new NHL, but the results were just as disappointing.

5)Nathan Smith

The former Canucks first round draft pick has managed zero points in 26 NHL games in his career since being drafted 23^rd overall in 2000.

Isbister

4)Brad Isbister

Not only was his time with Vancouver disappointing, his whole NHL career was marked with not living up to expectations. The most he got from being in Vancouver was an unfortunate nickname involving male reproductive fluid and blisters. I'll let you work that one out.

3)Taylor Ellington

Many thought this second rounder was going to be a great NHL defence man after being drafted in the second round by the Vancouver Canucks. However, Taylor preferred to spend most of his time in the ECHL.

Schneider and his pearly whites

2)Mathieu Schneider

This player was expected to be a bit of a hero on the Canucks blue line. However, after playing a mediocre 17 games, Schneider was waived.

1)Patrick White

This former first round pick has never seen NHL, AHL, or even ECHL ice time in North America. The highpoint of White's short career thus far was being part of the trade that brought Vancouver Christian Ehrhoff.

Summer Summit Splash

According to Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis at the Canucks summer summit, Cory Schneider has agreed in principal to a new deal with the club. Schneider who went 20-8-1 last season serving as backup to Roberto Luongo was set to become a Restricted Free Agent as of July 1^st.

From user CanucksWino on the official team forum:

As per Mike Gillis at Summer Summet! Said agreement was met 15 minutes ago. 

 Interesting, speaks good about Cory's character if he indeed signed before the 1^st, when many teams would probably be willing to throw ridiculous offer sheets at him. Good job on Gillis' part, and it will surely be interesting to see what the terms are.

The Roberto Luongo watch is going to be on high gear now. Should be quite the summer.

Update from Kypreos:

Nick Kypreos ‏@RealKyper
#NHL signing. Canucks agree on new 3 year deal worth 12M with G Cory Schneider. 4M is his new cap hit. 

Free Agency and the Fourth Line

Do the Canucks have openings on the fourth line? Probably. The Vancouver organization likes to have a plethora of fourth line capable players waiting in the wings in case they are needed. With the departure of Andrew Ebbett, the Canucks could look to free agency for that thirteenth forward or upgrade on the bottom six.

However, with the qualification of Dale Weise and the re-signing of Aaron Volpatti, the Canucks do have two capable fourth line forwards. Volpatti is an excellent spark plug; Weise is only 23 and showed flashes of offensive capabilities last season, even though he only achieved eight points during the season.

Though the likely hood of Vancouver seeking fourth line improvement through free agency is slim, due to inflating contracts and a shallow talent pool, these are hypothetical players that could be brought in to bolster the line generally known as the energy line.

Arron Asham – Though often called a headcase, the feisty Asham did manage 16 points last season with the Penguins, a number not bad for a fourth line forward. Asham may be too big of a risk for the Canucks though, as his penalty minutes remain quite high. Something the organization generally tries to avoid.

Travis Moen – Ask a handful Vancouver fans who they wanted the team to acquire at the trade deadline, and a good number of them will respond with Travis Moen. This gritty forward posts respectable point totals while player a bottom six role. He also has the ability to move up to the third line if required, which is loved of bottom six forwards by Vancouver's coaching staff. Moen does boast a higher cap hit than most fourth liner players though, with a cap hit of 1.5 million dollars last season.

Zenon Konopka – Probably the least likely as he plays center naturally, Zenon could be considered if they feel Malholtra wont be able to regain form and that Lapierre will take over the third line center job. Konopka does have a history of taking stupid penalties however.

The most likely option though is probably what Mike Gillis does every year, signing low key free agents (such as Steve Pinizzotto last season) and allowing them to compete for the roster spots along with Weise and company. Either way, with all the Luongo talk going on, the free agency period will probably take a backseat for most Canuck fans.

Prospect Spotlight: Alexandre Mallet

This year's second round draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks, Alexandre Mallet caused a bit of a stir among Canuck fans. The fact that he has only posted great numbers in the QMJHL as an over-ager being the main backing behind this.

An argument against picking over age players is that they are more physically mature than the competition in junior. For instance, Darren Archibald — signed as a free agent by Vancouver in 2010 — was a hulking 6'3” 212 pounds, and able to out muscle most young players in junior. Archibald had a great prospects camp, followed by a disappointing start with the Chicago Wolves that ended up seeing him play with the Canucks ECHL affiliate, the Kalamazoo Wings, for most of this season. A prime example of the difficulties involved of transitioning from being physically dominant against boys, to playing against men.

There is no argument against Mallet being strong, but he doesn't have the hulking frame like Darren Archibald that would allow for pure physical domination. Mallet is a modest 6'1”, 194 pounds (modest for hockey players anyway), a height and weight that is not uncommon amongst hockey players.

Looking at Mallet's numbers prior to this season, and you would notice they are not very impressive. However, the 57^th overall pick had a major breakout season this year, tallying 81 points in just 68 games, while still maintaining the physical edge that he's always had in the QMJHL.

The thing about Mallet, is even if he isn't able to produce hugely at the professional level he will still be able to bring energy and intensity to a team's bottom six forward core. The kid can hit, play with grit, and was a fairly tenacious fighter at the junior level. Not a bad prospect to have for an organization with mainly boom or bust top six prospects such as Jordan Schroeder.

If Mallet works hard, and comes into camp determined, the Canucks could have a very good energy forward with some offensive talent in the future. Though Mallet will probably start this season with the Chicago Wolves, he should be given a chance by the fans to show what he's capable of at the professional level of Hockey. Some players are just late bloomers, and hopefully such is the case with Alexandre Mallet.

Mallet Quick Stats:

                                            --- Regular Season ---  ---- Playoffs ----
Season   Team                        Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM  GP   G   A Pts PIM
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2008-09  Rouyn-Noranda Huskies       QMJHL  10    1    0    1    0   1   0   1   1   0
2009-10  Rouyn-Noranda Huskies       QMJHL  39    4    5    9   31  --  --  --  --  --
2009-10  Rimouski Oceanic            QMJHL  26    5    5   10   54  12   2   0   2   6
2010-11  Rimouski Oceanic            QMJHL  60   10    9   19   86   5   0   2   2   7
2011-12  Rimouski Oceanic            QMJHL  68   34   47   81  132  21  10  15  25  22
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 Stats Courtesy of HockeyDB