Zack Kassian is back up with the Vancouver Canucks and he'll return to the lineup Thursday night.
He was sent down to the AHL for a one-game stint after recovering from a back injury. "It was good to be down there to get in a game and I feel really confident," Kassian said. "My back is 100 percent and I'm really excited to get going again. I spoke to management before I went down and they stressed the things I need to work on, both on and off the ice. On the ice, it was just play the way I was early in the season, moving my feet and playing physical. Off the ice, it was just being professional, especially in a market like this. You have to be a professional." He's slated to start on the third line with Max Lapierre and Nicklas Jensen

The Vancouver Canucks sent Zack Kassian to the AHL for a conditioning stint.
He's recovering from a back injury, so this assignment is legitimately for those reasons - not as a way of shaming him into shape (like many teams do with conditioning stints).

Zack Kassian (back) told the medical staff and coaches he's ready to play in Edmonton tonight, but Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault didn't seem to believe it, saying he needed to get it confirmed with his trainers.
The hint anyway was that Kassian wouldn't be back in the lineup.

Zack Kassian (back) won't play Tuesday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Kassian has been out re-injuring his back during a fight with St. Louis forward Chris Stewart on March 19. Kassian has cooled considerably since a hot start and is a waiver candidate in most formats.

The Canucks flew off to Phoenix without forward Zack Kassian and he will miss tonight's game against the Coyotes.
Kassian re-injured a sore back in a fight with the Blues' Chris Stewart early in Vancouver's 3-2 win over St. Louis on Tuesday.

Zack Kassian returned from a back injury on Tuesday.
Kassian showed he was healthy by getting into a fight at 2:41 of the first period. He missed two games due to the ailment.

Zack Kassian returned to action on Tuesday March 19.

Zack Kassian (back) says he'll be back in the lineup Tuesday night.
Kassian, who missed two games with the ailment, said his back is fine. The young power forward has a ton of potential but has cooled considerably since a red-hot star to the season. Kassian has five goals and eight points in 26 games and is best left on the waiver in most formats.

Zack Kassian remains day-to-day with a back injury.
Kassian missed Saturday's game due to what has been described as stiffness in his back. His status for Monday's contest isn't entirely clear, but it would be surprising if he ends up playing.

Slumping Vancouver Canucks winger Zack Kassian is trying to stay upbeat after going 12 games without a goal.
After a red-hot start, Kassian has sunk down from the first line to the fourth and is minus-6 in his past seven games. He played a season-low 6:52 Tuesday against the Phoenix Coyotes and still was on the ice for two goals against. When things were rolling for him the first two weeks of the season, he played more than 19 minutes on three different occasions and collected his share of feel-good headlines. Now he's finding it difficult to score from the bench, or in the penalty box, but that's where Kassian has been for large stretches the past two games. "You definitely look up and say `geez, what did I do to you?' but it's a matter of staying positive," Kassian said. "The biggest thing is obviously not letting it affect the way you play. You don't want to be on the ice when the other team is scoring goals no matter how they go in. It's not fun."

Zack Kassian lined up on the fourth line in practice Wednesday.
The Vancouver forward was moved up to the first line early in the season and had five goals in his first seven games but has had only one assist in his last eight. Drop him from your fantasy lineup for now as he is no longer playing with the Sedin twins.

Zack Kassian continues to take advantage of his Lottery ticket opportunity beside the Sedin twins.
The budding power forward has all five of his 2013 season goals in the last six games. He's only fired 15 shots on goal, so he's going to need to put more rubber on the net to continue his sniping ways. One other negative: zero assists. One more positive: 12 PIM makes him have more than more dimension.

Zack Kassian scored his fourth goal in five games in the 3-2 shootout loss to the LA Kings.
Kassian is the latest forward to reap the benefits of riding shotgun with the Sedins. He has the three intangibles to be the perfect complement to the dynamic duo, size, skill and grit. With his size and touch he's in for a great season. He's one of the highly sought after waiver wire pickups, as he is also a great source of hits and PIM's. A must add in all formats while he's with the Sedins.

Zack Kassian had his best game of the young season on Wednesday night, helping the Vancouver Canucks grab a 3-2 shootout win against the Calgary Flames.
Kassian had a goal, and perhaps most impressively, logged 19:14 time on ice. That tally gives him a two-game streak, but taking that many shifts shows the rising confidence he's inspiring. His beautiful shootout goal won't mean much in most fantasy leagues, yet it shows that he's more than just a brute with a modicum of offensive skill.

Zack Kassian was impressive on Sunday as he scored, had a fight and was combative on the ice.
This is the Zack Kassian the Canucks dealt for when they sent Cody Hodgson to the Sabres at the trade deadline in 2012. Kassian spent the off-season training and it is showing in the early going as he is now the linemate of the Sedin twins. If you are looking for a good combination of points and toughness, Kassian may still be available in your fantasy pools.

Zack Kassian pleased his owners in rotisserie leagues Sunday night.
Kassian scored a goal in the Canucks 3-2 shootout loss to Edmonton while adding a plus-1 rating, four shots on goal and five penalty minutes. The feisty winger could be a darling in rotisserie formats with his ability to score 10+ goals in a full season along with over 100 PIM. Alex Edler also scored in his second consecutive game for the Canucks.

Zack Kassian was back skating with his teammates on Monday.
He participated in the session alongside Mason Raymond and Andrew Ebbett in the place of David Booth, who is sidelined with a groin injury. Kassian didn't skate on Saturday because of a back issue.

Zack Kassian sat out practice on Saturday with back spasms.
Kassian suffered the flareup a couple of weeks ago in the AHL and has not been right since. There has been talk that Kassian could be on the right side for every line, from the first with the Sedin twins to the fourth. Stay tuned and consider him day-to-day. He is a high risk fantasy pick at this time as he is more likely to see bottom six minutes rather than top-six minutes.

Before he's pencilled in anywhere from the first to fourth line for the Vancouver Canucks, 21-year-old winger Zack Kassian has to get over a bothersome back that flared up two weeks ago while playing in the AHL. Kassian injured a facet joint, which is any one of four projections that link one vertebra of the spine to an adjacent vertebra.
Kassian injured a facet joint, which is any one of four projections that link one vertebra of the spine to an adjacent vertebra. "I've had some spasms, but nothing major," said Kassian, who has no history of back ailments. "It just takes a little time to heal. Today, I felt good on the ice and it's day by day and I'm on track to be good for training camp. I don't know how I hurt it. I woke up and it was tight and I had another little issue. Skating and playing games probably didn't help, but we've got it solved."