Article content continued

For 2017-19, Kassian ranked just 333 out of 450 for even strength scoring. In our Cult of Hockey performance rankings, he ranked 25th out of 25 Oilers players at the start of November 2018, mainly because his even strength play was so weak and he was never much good on the penalty kill, where his inability to read the play and get into passing and shooting lanes was a killer.

But by April 7, 2019, for the final segment of the year, Kassian worked his way up to fourth overall in Edmonton’s performance rankings. Teaming up in the spring of 2019 on a line with McDavid, Kassian found his motivation, his purpose and his game.

The Oilers have the entire 2019-20 season to evaluate Kassian for contract purposes. It might be an idea to try to sign him sooner than later, but it’s also a risky bet signing up long term a power forward who will be 30 next year.

The best bet would be to get him on a three or four year contract. Can he keep up his consistent play? Can he keep putting points on the board? Can he stick with it on defence game in, game out?

It’s possible that like Patrick Maroon and Alex Chiasson before him, Kassian’s market value will be lower than expected for a tough player with his level of scoring, as teams are evidently reluctant to pay for the added production that comes with playing with McDavid and Draisaitl. Maybe that keeps Kassian’s deal in the $2.5 million to $4.0 million per year range on a shorter term.

If Kassian can keep up this level of play, though, it’s hard to imagine he won’t strike it rich on his next deal. Fellow fast-skating bruiser Tom Wilson of Washington got a six-year deal at $5.17 million per year, though Wilson’s contract takes him through his prime years in his late 20s, not into the more iffy value proposition years of the early 30s.

So we’ll see.

For now, Kassian’s NHL coming out party is a treat for Oilers fans. Indeed, it turns out that Kassian has become everything the Oilers hoped they had found when they signed Milan Lucic in July 2016, but at one third the contract price.

At the Cult of Hockey

STAPLES: Persson to AHL, Larsson returning soon



STAPLES: Young Broberg acing it in Sweden as an 18-year-old

LEAVINS: 9 Things

McCURDY: The Oilers blow a lead to lose 5-4 to Dallas – Game Grades

STAPLES: Does Taylor Hall Home to Edmonton make sense?