Photo credit: Dan Hickling
February 27, 2012 seems like a millions years ago to me.
That was the day that the Buffalo Sabres decided that they had seen enough of Zack Kassian and his high ceiling. Darcy Regier traded Kassian to the Vancouver Canucks for Cody Hodgson. The Sabres were loaded with organizational prospects on the wings. They were thin down the middle of their lineup. Regier rolled the bones, dealt his 13th overall pick and he won the deal. At least it looks to me like he won the Kassian-Hodgson trade.
Kassian has contributed only 8 goals and 6 assists to the Canucks offense in 58 games with Canucks since the trade.
Hodgson, the former 10th overall pick, was an afterthought in Vancouver, however, he has blossomed into a reliable top line centerman in Buffalo scoring 19 goals and adding 29 assists in the 76 games since he pulled the Sabres sweater over his head. No longer does Hodgson have to sit and wait in line behind centers Sedin and Kelser. CoHo has added immediate value to the Buffalo top six group. He's been impressive in his time spent in Buffalo and Rochester. He's cleaning up some D-zone issues right now, but thats to be expected from a 23 year old offensive-minded middle man. Rather than bridge contract the former RFA, the Sabres saw fit to lock up Hodgson to a 6 year, $25.5 million contract extension last month.
Hodgson is a key contributor to the revitalization project that is being manufactured in Buffalo right now. In Hodgson, the Sabres have a two-way center who plays PP, PK, and on the top line. Its not outlandish to predict that Hodgson will score 25-30 goals in the NHL.
The Canucks aren't as sure about what type of player that they have in Zack Kassian. He still hasn't reached his full potential. He's shown glimpses of greatness. He scored five goals in seven games at the beginning of the lockout shortened season while skating with Henrik and Daniel Sedin. After that, it was slim pickins for Kassian. He bounced from one line to another. he was even a healthy scratch. On September 21, Kassian's 2013-14 season began with disciplinary after he was suspended for 8 games for his careless high stick that broke the jaw of Edmonton Oilers pivot Sam Gagner.
Today, the Canucks practiced in Philly before they flew to Buffalo (they defeated the Flyers on Tuesday night). Canucks head coach John Tortarella admitted that he was "aggravated" with Kassian's suspension because the kid had such a strong training camp.
Thanks, Canucks.com
Torts sounds a lot like Lindy Ruff in that he praises Kassian's skill, toughness and physicality. The kid is only 22 and has been branded as "the next Milan Lucic" since he was was dominating opponents while winning Memorial Cups with the Windsor Spitfires. Lucic's skates are pretty big ones to fill. Sabres fans fell on love with Kassian during the 2011 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships that were played in Buffalo. Kassian rode shotgun for fellow Sabres power forward Marcus Foligno and Ryan Johansen. The power trio played extremely well together and they dominated their international opponents with their size, speed and scoring abilities. Kassian was having a whale of a tourney for Team Canada until he was suspended for crushing Czech forward Peter Senkerik with a thundering body check.
The Legend Of Zack Kassian grew to epic levels.
He's yet to live up to all of the hype. His his defense, he's only 23 years of age. Time is on his side.
Kassian now finds himself on the third line in Vancouver with Jordan Schroeder and David Booth .
Kassian is an above average skater for a big man and he has soft hands. Torts wants to see him hit, skate, score and fight on a more consistent, nightly basis.
When will Kassian catch up to Hodgson in terms of production and all around play?
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I was walking into the Minnesota Wild room at First Niagara Center to speak with Jason Pominville on Monday night. The former Sabres captain had just scored the dramatic game-winning goal on his first trip back to the building that he had played in for the past nine years. Pominville's emotional return to Buffalo was punctuated by the game winning goal.
Two steps into the doorway of the Wild's room, I was met head-on by a couple of Minnesota Wild players. No worries, I thought. Matt Cooke was leading a convoy of a couple of his Wild teammates, in workout shorts and sneakers, hockey bags slung over their shoulders. They looked like bell hops. The equipment cart and stick bags were a couple of feet away in the narrow hallway outside the room. Real estate was at a premium.
“Sorry, I’m just trying to help the equipment manager”, said Cooke to me and a Wild beat writer as he expeditiously loaded his gear onto the wheeled cart, which would be later loaded onto the team bus to be transported to Toronto, where the Wild played the Leafs on Tuesday night.
I got a kick out of how polite and how helpful that Cooke was. Talk about lasting impressions.
He smiled, apologized. He was well mannered and helpful.
Such a nice guy.
Total opposite personality of his public perception. I came face to face with the “new” Matt Cooke. I liked him a lot. He was a perfect gentleman.
I was happy to read Pierre LeBrun’s most excellent
“Cross Check Blog” today. In it, LeBrun shared a revealing conversation that he had with Matt Cooke in Toronto on Tuesday night, after the Leafs had beaten the Wild. Earlier Tuesday night, the NHL had announced its 10 game suspension of Buffalo Sabres winger Patrick Kaleta for his head hit on Columbus Blue Jackets D-man Jack Johnson.
These days, there are many parallels being drawn between the "old" Matt Cooke and Pat Kaleta.
LeBrun wrote:
Matt Cooke saw Patrick Kaleta waiting for former Sabres teammate Jason Pominville after Monday night’s game in Buffalo, so he decided to introduce himself.
The two players didn’t know each other.
But knowing that Kaleta faced an in-person hearing with Brendan Shanahan the next day, Cooke wanted to let Kaleta know that he knew how he felt.
For years, Matt Cooke found himself crisscrossing the line between effective and danger to hockey society.
"I told him, 'I’ve been there, it’s not fun.’ It’s hard," Cooke told ESPN.com Tuesday night after his Minnesota Wild lost 4-1 in Toronto.
The real reason Cooke wanted to say hi was he had a message for him.
"I laid it out there that if he wants to know what I did, I’d gladly talk to him about it," said Cooke, the NHL’s poster boy as proof former repeat offenders can reform.
"He knows Pommer, so I told him `If you want to get hold of me, I’m there to talk.’"
Cooke has been suspended for extended periods of time in his NHL career. he's has more than his fair share of phone and in-person meetings with the NHL Department of Player Safety in NYC.
Kaleta's career is now at a crossroads. He's a repeat offended, having been suspended multiple times, and fined on a couple of other occasions.
Its time for Kaleta to do what Cooke did, and that is to change his on-ice ways..
Cooke has some sage advice for Kaleta.
It’s not easy, but it’s do-able, Cooke said.
"During my suspension, with either (Dan) Bylsma or (Tony) Granato, I probably watched about 30 or 40 hours of video; watching players that play a physical style," Cooke recalled.
"The hours of video work I did seriously helped me," he added. "The work that I put in has helped me not only take the risky plays out but also become a more effective player. I’ve got a way more active stick on the forecheck, and I’m more aware of my surroundings, which has helped me offensively."
I recommend that you read the rest of LeBrun’s interesting story here:
http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/27203/cooke-to-kaleta-i-can-help-you-change
My takeaway:
If Matt Cooke is capable of augmenting and modifying his game, then Kaleta can certainly follow his lead. The two players are cut from similar cloth: fast, ferocious, fearless, and physical.
Cooke was branded as one of the NHL’s “Most Wanted Men” just two seasons ago, yet today, he’s transformed his game so much that he is a respectful, responsible, and safe player. Today, Cooke is a living breathing example that it is possible for an “old dog” to learn new tricks. He was facing a possible banishment from the NHL, so he took accountability for his over-the-line actions and he made amends for his mistakes. Now, he wants to pay it forward and help the younger Kaleta to avoid future brushes with the NHL Department of Player Safety by curtailing dialing down the risky parts of his game.
If I’m Kaleta, I’m all ears.
Right now, Matt Cooke is a perfect role model for a young player like Kaleta. The repeat offender has invested the time and has transformed himself leading the Minnesota Wild in scoring with three goals and three assists. Cooke finally realized that he cannot help lead his team mates win if he is not on the ice with them. The “new” matt Cooke is on the ice more in critical junctures of games , and is rarely in the penalty box. Cooke’s become the player that scouts and talent evaluators always thought he could be because he’s gotten rid of the bad habits that were holding him back for years.
You see. There is hope for Kaleta afterall. He has some work to do, both on and off the ice. How great will it be when Kaleta’s harshest critics are praising him for his massive transformation?
Cooke has taken care of his own baggage. He's now lending a hand to a stranger. Sometimes we need assistance moving our baggage.
Great story.
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