‘As far as Kassian was concerned, the “inside” story I’ve gotten about him from a veteran NHL scout is that the Sabres and virtually everybody else thought he was a big, physical player with a “mean streak” that could give the Sabres some physical toughness they’d been lacking. As it turns out, that player in juniors was not the real Kassian. He was bigger and stronger at that level and used his size to be noticed, but in reality, Kassian (I’m told) viewed himself as a skill player who simply knew he had to be physical to get noticed. The Sabres figured this out after he all but disappeared in Rochester.’