His impressive stature belies his impressive skills, and his lovable lug image is at odds with accounts suggesting that he is apparently hard to deal with. And somehow, these contradictions have been all wrapped up in a player who, despite his 198 NHL games, is only 24 years old.
Everyone seems to agree that Kassian can contribute, but none of Alain Vigneault, John Tortorella, or Willie Desjardins found a way to harness his talents to their satisfaction. And when he wasn't frustrating fans with his on-ice identity crisis, his myriad injuries managed to frustrate them anyway.
In Montreal, he can leave all of that behind him, and focus on becoming the player he has the potential to be.