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Oilers’ Kassian suspended seven games

Edmonton Oilers right wing Zack Kassian

(Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Edmonton Oilers forward Zack Kassian has been suspended seven games for his kicking actions against Erik Cernak of the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday.

Kassian is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, will forfeit $166,463.43 according to the press release.

Here’s the Department of Player Safety’s explanation for the seven-game suspension:

The NHL has suspended Kassian four times in his NHL career including an incident a few weeks ago against the Calgary Flames. The power forward was sidelined for two games at the time due to violating rule 46.2 which states, “The aggressor in an altercation shall be the player who continues to throw punches in an attempt to inflict punishment on his opponent who is in a defenseless position or who is an unwilling combatant.”

Edmonton signed Kassian to a four-year extension following that incident in January. The contract is worth $12.8 million with an average annual value of $3.2 million but does not have any no-trade protection.

Kassian has recorded 14 goals and 16 assists in 52 games this season, surpassing his previous career high of 29 points set in 2013-14.

Scott Charles is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @ScottMCharles.