Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Kassian's future with Wild
By Victoria Matiash
Forward Matt Kassian may not be a member of the Minnesota Wild for much longer. By trading for rough-and-tumble forward Mike Rupp, the Wild are expressing their feelings re: Kassian loud and clear. As far as Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune can tell, the club evidently doesn't have much use for the Edmonton native this season.
"... Kassian, 26, a second-round draft pick in 2005, has been scratched in all nine games, and instead of simply playing the hard-nosed forward, the Wild chose to trade for the hard-nosed Rupp. If he's not going to play, the Wild likely will give him a chance to move on via trade or waivers. 'I have to talk to Matt and his representation and see what the coaches think and do what's right for the team and for Matt going forward,' (GM Chuck) Fletcher said ..."
Potential league-wide interest in Kassian is hard to gauge. The imposing winger has yet to make a real impression in the NHL -- amassing 67 PIM in only 28 games altogether.
