Canadiens F Kassian Can Make Up For The Loss Of Prust

It was only two months ago that Zack Kassian was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Brandon Prust, who is now a part of the Vancouver Canucks roster.

The 24 year old right-winger collected 10 goals and 6 assists last season in Vancouver. While he may not be an amazing natural scorer that the fans want and has poor defensive impact, he’s an underachiever who’s possession numbers are that of a decent 3rd liner. His $1.75M cap hit for the Habs next season is also a bonus, as this gives Marc Bergevin room to resign younger players in the future.

There are questions though that some Habs fans aren’t sure of. What can Kassian do that Prust couldn’t for the Habs? Was trading Prust a huge mistake for the team? Will Kassian play be a key role when it comes to the Habs improving their penalty kill? All of these questions will be answered here, but we first have to take a look at who the Canadiens lost and what they have gained with this trade.

Let’s first take a look at Prust, shall we?

His days in the OHL and AHL showed his talent for racking up possession numbers. His 2 best seasons were during his 2nd year with the London Knights and his 2nd year with the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. He picked up 19 goals and 33 assists in London while grabbing 17 goals and 10 assists in Omaha.

Coming up to the NHL, Prust did have trouble when it came to putting points on the board. Over those 4 seasons bouncing around from the Calgary Flames to the Phoenix Coyotes and back to the Flames, he only had 8 points to his name. He also didn’t have enough time for adjustment, which makes sense as to why both his possession numbers and penalty minutes were low for a guy who did so well in the minors.

Feb 3, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Brandon Prust (8) celebrates his goal against Buffalo Sabres during the first period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

However, when he got signed to the New York Rangers his points increased and his penalty minutes went sky high. He started showing strong potential as both a fighter and a solid 4th line player.

Looking at Prust, it would be easy for some to assume he provides barely any value on the ice but the truth is that he gave the Habs a solid 2 way play. He could play anywhere on the 4th line and also play defensively when needed to. He was also an excellent choice when it came to improving the penalty kill and being a leader who had a big influence on his teammates.

The issue with #8? His shoulder problems over the last few years and other ailments put a big downside on his career. His injuries made the trade seem reasonable, as players like Dale Weise, Torrey Mitchell and Brian Flynn are faster and more likely to put more pucks on net than Prust could on the 4th line in the shape he’s in now.

His trade to the Canucks also gives some of the young guns a chance to take his spot in the lineup and help improve the Habs’ offense and penalty kill.

The ability to stand up for his team and being a great suppressor of scoring chances along with his other skills will be missed at the Bell Centre and on the road but in this case, the Canadiens took the safe route and traded Prust at a time where the team desperately needs help to improve their overall play.

Second on this list is newcomer Kassian.

It’s a somewhat similar story for the former Canuck, as his OHL days showed he was capable of putting points on the board when needed and also had the ability to stand up for his team. One of his best seasons in the OHL was with the Windsor Spitfires, where he grabbed 21 goals and 51 assists along with 67 penalty minutes.

After 2 years in the AHL, he made it up to the NHL where he started his career with the Buffalo Sabres during 2011. He played 27 games with the team before being traded part way through the season to the Canucks. Including his 17 games with Vancouver along with his time in Buffalo, he grabbed 10 points.

Mar 14, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Zack Kassian (9) skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

The outcome was that he went back down to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves for 29 games during the next season, where his possession numbers improved. His 8 goals and 13 assists were enough to convince Vancouver to bring Kassian back up where he gave the Canucks 11 points in 39 games.

While this wasn’t a huge improvement, the next two seasons in Vancouver gave Kassian 2 offensive outbursts. His best outburst was during the 2013-14 season where he grabbed 14 goals and 15 assists while racking up 124 penalty minutes. Not a bad way to end your time in a place you’ve called home for 4 years.

His trade to the Habs was not entirely focused on skill, oddly enough. GM Jim Benning explained that he wanted to add toughness and consistency to his lineup by replacing Kassian with Prust via NHL. When you compare the two’s penalty minutes, Prust has the upper hand with bringing in 134 minutes during the 2014-15 season. He’s also 6 years older than Kassian and his salary-cap is $750k more than Kassian’s. This gives Vancouver a valuable player with experience, skill, and leadership, 3 key roles that some players are expected to have on and off the ice.

“But what did the Habs get in exchange for Prust?”

As said from the beginning, he’s an underachiever which means that he’s not bringing enough to the table to show that he can be a skilled forward. With that said, Kassian has shown over the years that he’s an excellent passer, puts pucks on net when given the proper ice time with skilled players, and he’s determined to improve his play on the ice.

Another bonus of having Kassian on the Habs roster is that he does provide more offense than Prust did, which makes the trade of defensive ability for offensive ability even sweeter.

What Kassian can do that Prust couldn’t for the Habs is bring in more offense, something that we all know the Habs are needing to improve. As for playing a key role when it comes to the Habs improving their penalty kill, there’s no doubt that a player like Kassian who could be on the verge of becoming a dominant force could shine a positive light when it comes to shutting opposing players down.

“My time in Vancouver, deep down I think I could have [given] more, and they knew that, but at the end of the day I’m going to a great organization. To be honest, I’m thrilled and I know this is a big opportunity for me and I’m going to take advantage of it.” – Zack Kassian

As for whether or not trading Prust a huge mistake for the team, I’d like to think that this is a goldmine for Montreal. With proper ice time and being paired with fast paced players like Weise on the 4th line, Kassian will be able to eliminate his inconsistency. He may even be able to have a chance to change the 3rd line into a depth scoring line. I think most fans can agree that Vancouver may have made a big mistake letting a player with good hands and who can skate and play physically go.

How do you feel about this trade? Do you feel Bergevin made a mistake in trading Prust for Kassian? What are your predictions for Kassian this season? Let us know in the comments below!