Phil Kessel

[Zee]

I would love to see Kessel dealt for a good young player and a 1st at the deadline.

I don't think that's out of the question either.  It would help the case ALOT if Kessel started scoring again, and by the time the deadline rolls around he has 15-17 goals (there will have been 36 games played up to the deadline this year).  He'd had to get very hot for that to happen, as there's only 31 games left now and he's at 0.

I can see a contending team who thinks they have a chance to "go for it" this year, wanting to add Kessel, an elite goal scorer.  He's not even a rental since he has 1 year left after this season.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I would love to see Kessel dealt for a good young player and a 1st at the deadline.

I don't think that's out of the question either.  It would help the case ALOT if Kessel started scoring again, and by the time the deadline rolls around he has 15-17 goals (there will have been 36 games played up to the deadline this year).  He'd had to get very hot for that to happen, as there's only 31 games left now and he's at 0.

I can see a contending team who thinks they have a chance to "go for it" this year, wanting to add Kessel, an elite goal scorer.  He's not even a rental since he has 1 year left after this season.

Would we be in a better position if we did that than if we re-signed Kessel?

 

[Corn Flake]

Call Philli..... Couturier or Laughton + a 1st for Kessel.  They were rumored to be dangling the former at the deadline last year. They will trade anyone, any time.  Heard they were yet again foolishly trying to acquire offense.

Who knows what that insane team might do.

I cite the Jack Johnson + 1st for Carter deal as a comparable.

 

[pnjunction]

Maybe we can trade him for the 1st and 2nd pick of a team that finishes 2nd last.

Burke getting any job offers yet? 

 

[cw]

In light of the above, if I had to bet on it today, it's not an obvious easy call but I'd be inclined to bet Kessel is playing for another NHL team by July, 2014. They don't want to lose him for nothing.

I'm inclined to bet the same way. He is going to cash in regardless of where he goes. Plus he is never going to live up to Leaf fans' expectations (unfairly pinned on him by the insane amount Burke gave up for him).

And, unless I have missed it, I have never heard anything about him wanting to remain here. I haven't heard the opposite either, but still......

Here's a quote from Feb 2011, quickest I could find, not sure if there are more recent ones, but anyways:

"I love Toronto, I want to be here," Kessel told reporters. "I love this city. I love the fans. I love this team. The guys are great here. I don't want any trade or anything like that. I want to be here for a very long time."

EDIT:

Here's him on day 2 of training camp this season:

?You know, the fans here are great. There?s a lot of media obviously. But I love playing here. I don?t think you guys are too bad here.?

can you imagine him saying:
"I hate Toronto, I don't want to be here," Kessel told reporters. "I hate this city. I hate the fans. I hate this team. The guys are not great here. I want any trade. I don't want to be here for a very long time."

Obviously, no one is going to say that. Eric Lindros kind of did re Quebec and he suffered for the rest of his career to some extent because of it - some media got on his case and never got off.

Feb 2011 was two years ago. Where's he going to be now that the guy who brought him in is gone and they'll have probably missed three playoffs in a row since those comments ... before he has to make a decision during 2013-14 on his UFA status? Probably not in the same place after articles like Cox's stir some fans wrath.

 

[TML fan]

It's easy to stand back and look at a guy and say "he's just not trying". None of us have the insight necessary to legitimately question his competitiveness.

I don't think you make it this far and stick in this league if you aren't a competitive person. Talent alone isn't enough.

 

[pnjunction]

Call Philli..... Couturier or Laughton + a 1st for Kessel.  They were rumored to be dangling the former at the deadline last year. They will trade anyone, any time.  Heard they were yet again foolishly trying to acquire offense.

Who knows what that insane team might do.

Make the playoffs every year since the lockout with one exception?  ???

 

[Redleaf]

Maybe we can trade him for the 1st and 2nd pick of a team that finishes 2nd last.

Burke getting any job offers yet? 

Trading him for picks is a gamble I'd prefer to avoid. I'd like to get ONE known commodity in return. Like I suggested, someone like Jeff Skinner would be ideal.

 

[TML fan]

In light of the above, if I had to bet on it today, it's not an obvious easy call but I'd be inclined to bet Kessel is playing for another NHL team by July, 2014. They don't want to lose him for nothing.

I'm inclined to bet the same way. He is going to cash in regardless of where he goes. Plus he is never going to live up to Leaf fans' expectations (unfairly pinned on him by the insane amount Burke gave up for him).

And, unless I have missed it, I have never heard anything about him wanting to remain here. I haven't heard the opposite either, but still......

Here's a quote from Feb 2011, quickest I could find, not sure if there are more recent ones, but anyways:

"I love Toronto, I want to be here," Kessel told reporters. "I love this city. I love the fans. I love this team. The guys are great here. I don't want any trade or anything like that. I want to be here for a very long time."

EDIT:

Here's him on day 2 of training camp this season:

?You know, the fans here are great. There?s a lot of media obviously. But I love playing here. I don?t think you guys are too bad here.?

can you imagine him saying:
"I hate Toronto, I don't want to be here," Kessel told reporters. "I hate this city. I hate the fans. I hate this team. The guys are not great here. I want any trade. I don't want to be here for a very long time."

Obviously, no one is going to say that. Eric Lindros kind of did re Quebec and he suffered for the rest of his career to some extent because of it - some media got on his case and never got off.

Feb 2011 was two years ago. Where's he going to be now that the guy who brought him in is gone and they'll have probably missed three playoffs in a row since those comments ... before he has to make a decision during 2013-14 on his UFA status? Probably not in the same place after articles like Cox's stir some fans wrath.

Is this what we are though? So untrusting and paranoid that we will automatically assume that everything anyone says is a lie?

 

[pnjunction]

Yeah I'm pretty sure most any player is going to BS about how awesome a city is even as they are demanding a way out closed doors.

 

[Zee]

I would love to see Kessel dealt for a good young player and a 1st at the deadline.

I don't think that's out of the question either.  It would help the case ALOT if Kessel started scoring again, and by the time the deadline rolls around he has 15-17 goals (there will have been 36 games played up to the deadline this year).  He'd had to get very hot for that to happen, as there's only 31 games left now and he's at 0.

I can see a contending team who thinks they have a chance to "go for it" this year, wanting to add Kessel, an elite goal scorer.  He's not even a rental since he has 1 year left after this season.

Would we be in a better position if we did that than if we re-signed Kessel?

Depends on what they get back. 

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

can you imagine him saying:
"I hate Toronto, I don't want to be here," Kessel told reporters. "I hate this city. I hate the fans. I hate this team. The guys are not great here. I want any trade. I don't want to be here for a very long time."

Obviously, no one is going to say that. Eric Lindros kind of did re Quebec and he suffered for the rest of his career to some extent because of it - some media got on his case and never got off.

Feb 2011 was two years ago. Where's he going to be now that the guy who brought him in is gone and they'll have probably missed three playoffs in a row since those comments ... before he has to make a decision during 2013-14 on his UFA status? Probably not in the same place after articles like Cox's stir some fans wrath.

Well obviously, but I was responding to what was commented.

And while a player is unlikely to say they don't want to play somewhere, nobody is making them say they want to stay.  Wouldn't be the first time a player has cliched their way out of something (aka "I'm under contract with Toronto and I'll play as hard as I can while I am" or something).

But since none of us know, that's all we can go off of until we see otherwise.  I would, at this point, take the word of the actual person as being honest over the word of what others think he should be thinking.

 

[TML fan]

I would love to see Kessel dealt for a good young player and a 1st at the deadline.

I don't think that's out of the question either.  It would help the case ALOT if Kessel started scoring again, and by the time the deadline rolls around he has 15-17 goals (there will have been 36 games played up to the deadline this year).  He'd had to get very hot for that to happen, as there's only 31 games left now and he's at 0.

I can see a contending team who thinks they have a chance to "go for it" this year, wanting to add Kessel, an elite goal scorer.  He's not even a rental since he has 1 year left after this season.

Would we be in a better position if we did that than if we re-signed Kessel?

Depends on what they get back.

And even then, nothing is guaranteed.

 

[Zee]

Yeah I'm pretty sure most any player is going to BS about how awesome a city is even as they are demanding a way out closed doors.

It's up to Nonis to find out discreetly from Kessel's agent.  Straight shoot ask them what they're intentions are.  If they say they want to move out of Toronto then you start making calls to other GMs.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I would love to see Kessel dealt for a good young player and a 1st at the deadline.

I don't think that's out of the question either.  It would help the case ALOT if Kessel started scoring again, and by the time the deadline rolls around he has 15-17 goals (there will have been 36 games played up to the deadline this year).  He'd had to get very hot for that to happen, as there's only 31 games left now and he's at 0.

I can see a contending team who thinks they have a chance to "go for it" this year, wanting to add Kessel, an elite goal scorer.  He's not even a rental since he has 1 year left after this season.

Would we be in a better position if we did that than if we re-signed Kessel?

Depends on what they get back.

Whoops, I meant as in for a"good young player and a 1st".

 

[pnjunction]

Yeah I'm pretty sure most any player is going to BS about how awesome a city is even as they are demanding a way out closed doors.

It's up to Nonis to find out discreetly from Kessel's agent.  Straight shoot ask them what they're intentions are.  If they say they want to move out of Toronto then you start making calls to other GMs.

Sure, I'm just saying that ramblings to the media are pretty much irrelevant to how the players and management really feel and what is going on behind the scenes.  We find out when they take action (or perhaps there is some credible leak).

 

[crazyperfectdevil]

does anyone actually think this guy isn't trying?  ..he's a better actor than i thought then..if that's the case...he seems pretty frustrated on the bench.  as far as his performance goes so far the sample size is too small to really worry about.  He's had a lot of shots and none of them have gone in ...i think it's just as likely that he could go on a tear for a while.  but really this is besides the point.  if we're talking about trading the guy ..i don't think his early season performance matters. 

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

does anyone actually think this guy isn't trying?  ..he's a better actor than i thought then..if that's the case...he seems pretty frustrated on the bench.  as far as his performance goes so far the sample size is too small to really worry about.  He's had a lot of shots and none of them have gone in ...i think it's just as likely that he could go on a tear for a while.  but really this is besides the point.  if we're talking about trading the guy ..i don't think his early season performance matters.

If anything, he's seemed MORE involved at both ends of the ice.

 

[hockeyfan1]

The way I see it Kessel is a very talented scorer who is in need of a better centreman on his line.  If his other winger (Lupul) hadn't gotten injured, the two of them would have eventually started scoring again as a tandem, perhaps not in the same way as happened last season, but some way similar.

A player like Kessel who is more of a scorer needs to be complemented with the right personnel on his line (Lupul's already tbere but something else is missing).

Either the Leafs find a way to make better usage of is skills or at the risk of losing him on the free agent market, make some usage of his trade potential.  When the time comes, it will be up to Nonis to decide what's best to do.  Kessel has already previously stated that he likes it here, etc., etc., etc. 

 

[Andy007]

does anyone actually think this guy isn't trying?  ..he's a better actor than i thought then..if that's the case...he seems pretty frustrated on the bench.  as far as his performance goes so far the sample size is too small to really worry about.  He's had a lot of shots and none of them have gone in ...i think it's just as likely that he could go on a tear for a while.  but really this is besides the point.  if we're talking about trading the guy ..i don't think his early season performance matters.

If anything, he's seemed MORE involved at both ends of the ice.

I agree. He's been getting some great chances, making a lot of great set-ups and passes and has been more defensively responsible. I really don't get the criticism; not to mention the fact that half of his games have been with 3rd line talent this year.