Zack Kassian dealt to Montreal; hopes to find ‘consistency’

There was once a magical time when forward Zack Kassian was sort of mentioned as the next Milan Lucic.

That period is over, and Kassian, 24, is on his way to Montreal for 31-year-old Brandon Prust and a fifth-round draft pick per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

“It was actually my dad’s favorite team. It’s an emotional day for me and my family. I’m at a loss for words right now,” Kassian said on TSN’s broadcast.

Why did it not work out for Kassian in Vancouver? His best season came in 2013-14 with 29 points in 73 games. He was the 13th overall pick in the 2009 draft of Buffalo and was part of a 201w trade for Cody Hodgson. Clearly the deal did not work out for both sides. Hodgson was waived by Buffalo and signed by Nashville on Wednesday. 

“I need to find consistency, and honestly, after spending four years in the league I know what I need to do to be the player I need to be,” he added, “I can’t pinpoint one reason. Deep down, I could have gave more. And they knew that.”

It gives Montreal a big body of unfulfilled potential at $1.75 million next year. And in Prust the Canucks get someone who is somewhat less productive – 18 points last season – at a $2.5 million cap hit for one more season. 

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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