Zack Kassian on pace for one of the lowest-scoring NHL seasons ever
Zack Kassian isn’t the same player he used to be with the Edmonton Oilers or Vancouver Canucks.
No, in 2022-23, he’s on pace for one of the worst NHL seasons ever.
Through 51 games with the Arizona Coyotes, the 32-year-old has just two goals and has yet to put up an assist. Playing an average of 9:11 minutes per game, he’s been unable to make much impact as one of the league’s cellar dwellers.
It puts his point production this season among the top 20 worst in the NHL’s 106-year history.
The season didn’t start terribly for Kassian, scoring in the sixth game of the year against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He then went 38 games without scoring another goal before finding the back of the net against the New Jersey Devils on March 5.
zack kassian has scored his first goal with the coyotes 43 games into the season. pic.twitter.com/6B6VXkd6ZV
— zach (@zjlaing) March 6, 2023
Although several NHL players have been in and out of the league without scoring a single point, few have scored less than Kassian in 60+ games — and most of them were enforcers. If Kassian plays all of Arizona’s remaining 10 games, he’ll finish the season with 61 games played.
Just 21 forwards have ever scored two points or fewer in a season that they played at least 60 games. Former Canucks forward Alek Stojanov is one of them.
Every NHL forward to score two points or fewer in 60+ games.
It has clearly been a dismal season on the ice for Kassian, who hit a career-high of 15 goals and 34 points in 59 games with the Oilers in 2020. His Canucks best was 14 goals and 29 points in 73 games as part of the 2013-14 season.
Kassian’s physical play has also dwindled this season, only racking up 31 hits. He’s been credited for just eight hits since January 1.
Kassian was traded to Arizona from Edmonton last summer, as a salary dump by the Oilers. He’s scheduled to make $3.5 million this season and $2.3 million next year, and counts $3.2 million against the salary cap.
Follow Channels and Categories