With only eight games remaining on the schedule and another bottom-five finish on the horizon, the Edmonton Oilers are in evaluation mode, assessing which players can be relied upon to serve as the foundation moving forward.
Somewhat unexpectedly, forward Zack Kassian has emerged as a key piece in the bottom-six ranks, having taken advantage of a chance at redemption after landing in the NHL's substance abuse program prior to the start of the season.
Set to become a free agent on July 1, there appears to be mutual interest in keeping Kassian around for the long haul.
"I've liked the things he's brought to the table," head coach Todd McLellan said before Friday's win over the Vancouver Canucks, according to Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun. "There's a lot to play for in the Oilers world, in the NHL world, and in their careers. A lot of judgements will be made. Zack will be no different.
"We'll sit down at the end of the year and we'll figure out if he can continue to fit. And he has to figure out if he thinks he can fit with us as well. Right now, I think it's been a good marriage."
Kassian has recorded three goals and four assists in 28 games for the Oilers while displaying his brand of physicality and tenacity. Over that span, he's grown optimistic about the Oilers' potential, and wants to be part of the solution.
"To get a chance here, when you look around the room with all the skill here, the new rink, the future is so bright here that I'm excited to get the opportunity," he said, adding, "For me, personally, your eyes have to kind of light up. I think if I do my job I can have a job here for a long time moving forward."
To that end, he has clear objectives in mind over the balance of the regular season.
"Offensively, I'd like to be a little more productive, but when you're playing bottom six you don't want to be getting scored on, you want to be hard to play against and I feel I've done that," he said. "I want to be physical every night. I've played with Connor (McDavid), I've been up and down the lineup, but no matter who I play with I have to bring that physical edge."
Kassian is nearing the end of a two-year, $3.5-million contract signed with Vancouver, and he and the Oilers appear set to try to come to terms on a new deal in the coming months.
