The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Zack Kassian to a professional tryout agreement, the club announced Thursday morning.
Kassian, 32, spent the 2022–23 season with the Arizona Coyotes, collecting two goals and zero assists in 51 games. The Coyotes waived Kassian on June 20 to buy out the final year of his $3.2 million AAV contract.
Arizona originally acquired Kassian from the Edmonton Oilers on July 7, 2022. The Oilers sought to clear Kassian’s contract off their books and parted with future second and third-round picks to facilitate the deal. Edmonton and Arizona also swapped 2023 first-round picks (No. 29 to AZ; No. 32 to EDM) in the trade.
Kassian is the second player to agree to terms on a PTO deal with the Ducks, joining defenseman Scott Harrington. The Ducks finished last in the NHL during the 2022–23 season with a 23–47–12 record and 58 points.
The Buffalo Sabres originally selected Kassian with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft. The 6’3″ right wing appeared in 27 games with Buffalo in 2011–12 before being traded to the Vancouver Canucks midway through his rookie season in a one-for-one deal for Cody Hodgson.
Kassian established himself as a regular NHLer in parts of four seasons with the Canucks. He then arrived in Edmonton midway through the 2015–16 season and lasted seven years with the Oilers, spending ample time with Connor McDavid and posting back-to-back 15-goal campaigns with the team in 2018–19 and 2019–20.
After the Oilers signed Kassian to a four-year contract extension in 2020, his effectiveness quickly began to wane and he managed just six goals in 58 games with the team in 2021–22. His production almost completely evaporated in his lone year with the Coyotes.
Through 661 career NHL games with the Sabres, Canucks, Oilers and Coyotes, Kassian has collected 92 goals, 203 points, and 913 penalty minutes. He’s added six goals and nine points in 45 playoff contests.
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