The Edmonton Oilers were expected to be without forward Zack Kassian 4-8 weeks after he took a puck to the face in a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on February 9.
Turns out the under was the closer bet.
Kassian returned to the lineup when the Oilers hosted the Washington Capitals at Rogers Place on Thursday, exactly 28 days after the open-ended timetable offered a maximum of two months.
The difference?
“I could’ve had surgery done on it which would’ve maybe prolonged me coming back a little longer, but they left it up to me,” Kassian told media Friday.
“It was a cosmetic thing. I told them I had a face for radio as it was, I wasn’t getting any prettier. Less than a centimetre my cheek has sunken in a little bit, so you notice a little bit when I smile. But we opted not to do the surgery.”
Hear from Kassian as he discusses his recovery from an orbital fracture that saw him return to the lineup last game vs. Washington where he tallied a big assist on Malone's go-ahead goal. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/LWkBVr3tkL
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 11, 2022
Kassian was hit midway through the second period in the loss in mid-February.
He initially tried to return to the game.
“Just a point shot got deflected, hit me in the cheek and broke a few bones in my cheek in the orbital area,” he said. “It wasn’t the jaw. It was the cheek, orbital bone, couple spots. Wasn’t bleeding so I thought it was alright, then it puffed up, swelled up too much and couldn’t play. Got some pictures done and it showed a few breaks.”
Kassian, 31, played 8:05 and had one assist in his return — a 4-3 overtime win against the Capitals. He sported a full face shield to protect the cheek, something he anticipates he’ll wear for “a week or so.”
“I haven’t worn anything over my face in 15, 16 years,” Kassian said. “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to play.
“It feels different, for sure. You go from not wearing anything to wearing something, it’s a little different, but I found the bubble’s a little better than the cage with all the wiring and you see… your eyes can relax a little better with the fishbowl.”
It’s likely the first time Kassian has worn any sort of facial protection since being a member of the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League in 2010-11, when he amassed 77 points (26 goals, 51 assists) in 56 games.
Visors are mandatory in both junior and pro in North America, though Kassian is grandfathered in, allowing him to go without one.
The new rule was implemented ahead of the 2013-14 NHL season, and Kassian’s NHL career began in 2011-12 with the Buffalo Sabres.
“I don’t find the bubble that bad,” Kassian said. “I’ve never worn a bubble before, but Connor mentioned it. I tried it. I liked it a lot better than the cage. The wiring I found was a little hard on the eyes. It is what it is. In an ideal world you’d take it off right now, but there’s precautionary reasons you have to consider.
“I’ll have to wear it in order to play, and obviously I want to play.”
Kassian has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 36 games this season.
