Today, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they placed forward Zack Kassian on waivers, just after it was announced that the NHL and NHLPA had granted Kassian eligibility to return to the NHL after going through substance abuse and behavioral programs.
Zack Kassian Deserves Respect for Overcoming Substance Abuse
The Canadiens acquired Zack Kassian and a draft pick from Vancouver in exchange for Brandon Prust. Many fans were upset by the fact that Kassian was replacing the fan favorite, Prust, to the point where they suddenly resented him. And then, Oct. 4 happened.
Kassian was involved in an early-morning car wreck, one that could have severely injured or even killed him. He was then suspended and entered rehabilitation. Now, he’s back and seems to be ready to move on to the next stage, which mainly focuses on consultation.
Once it was announced that the winger was on the wire, fans started to react. Some said they hope he rots in the minor leagues. Others say that he’s worthless. Some say he is a classless athlete with no talent.
All of these “fans” are looking at Zack Kassian like he is an object. “Don’t touch him” and “he’s not worth the price” make him sound like a product. He is, first off, a human being. Before an athlete, before a product, he is human just like all of us. Everyone has their flaws, and some people fall into struggles and hardships throughout their lives. In this case, Kassian fell to a horrifying substance abuse issue.
Look at the stories of Jordin Tootoo and Richard Clune. Two enforcers and outstanding players who fell victim to substance abuse. Today, they are back in the NHL after triumphing past a problem that was bigger than themselves, one that was defining their lives and their personalities. Now, drugs and alcohol hold no power over them, and they are better players and people because of it.
Now, I’m not saying that Kassian is going to turn into a star player. In fact, he’s probably not likely to be picked up by any team. Think about it. For starters, if his value was worth only Brandon Prust, a forward who has only scored more than 10 goals once in his career, (and the Canucks also gave up a draft pick in the move this summer) over the summer, it’s probably declined to just about nothing considering he is going through post-rehab for a substance abuse problem. Also, something about the fact that he has been through three NHL teams over the course of the past few years speaks volumes. However, that doesn’t mean that fans should waive him off and stereotype him as a “druggie” and “liability.”
To top it off, Kassian is unlikely to be in game shape. That is likely the main reason Montreal is waiving him to begin with, as he will need time to get into shape, and this will take much longer than what is allowed under a conditioning stint. Any team claiming Kassian will need to put him on their NHL roster, and will not be able to send him to the AHL, and so it is likely he clears and goes to Montreal’s AHL affiliate in St. John’s to get up to speed.
The 24-year-old holds huge potential, and yes, I will say it: he’s better than Prust. He has 66 points (35 G, 31 A) in 198 NHL games through his career. With Vancouver last season, he tallied 16 points through 42 games. The numbers aren’t exactly “all-star” worthy, but they’re not horrible. In fact, they’re decent for a kid his age. With the right center and the right team, Kassian has potential to be a second-line center, at the very most. He’s surely pushing past his ghosts and demons, shaking off his drug abuse issue over the course of two months.
With time to get in shape in the minors, Kassian will come back stronger and more motivated than ever. Eventually he’ll prove he is not “baggage” and prove he is not a terrible influence in the locker room; when he returns, many fans will owe Kassian an apology.
