Vancouver Canucks power forward Zack Kassian was a healthy scratch in the club's 4-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night, and not for the first time this season.
The talented, yet infuriatingly inconsistent, 23-year-old has followed up on an auspicious end to the 2013-14 campaign by managing only two goals and five points in 22 games this season.
As a result of Kassian's struggles, and his apparent inability to earn the trust of another Canucks coaching staff - the third in the past three years - his name has been bandied about in trade rumors in recent months.
In an appearance on TSN 1040 radio Friday, Canucks general manager Jim Benning discussed those rumors. While his comments were mostly neutral, he certainly didn't go to any great lengths to dispute the popular notion that Kassian is available.
"Well teams have phoned to inquire about him," Benning admitted. "Zack's a young player, a power forward-style player, we'll listen to what teams say, but he's not unlike a lot of other of our players that teams phone and inquire about.
"If something comes up where we think it's a good deal for us or something, then we'll do it if we make the organization better."
While Benning certainly made it sound as if Kassian can be had, those aren't the comments of a general manager ready to just give his player away. In fact, Benning took pains to defend Kassian's performance and assure Canucks fans that the burly third-liner will get every opportunity to play his way back into the lineup.
"I thought coming back off of the injury he played really well - those first two games - he played really well," Benning said. "Then what happens sometimes, you're out for fives weeks, then the drudge of the everyday pounding and stuff, catches up with you a little bit.
"He'll get his opportunity to get back in the lineup and play."
Whether or not he'll get that opportunity Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes is unknown since the club held an optional skate Friday morning. Kassian was present for the optional, which would suggest he knows where he stands in Vancouver's pecking order at the moment.
When contacted by News 1130 Sports on Friday and asked about Kassian's issues in Vancouver this season, his agent, Paul Krepelka, declined comment.
