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Phil Kessel

I really liked Phil Kessel in this series. The one bright spot in this round was that he shut up the critics. I know it's his job and he gets paid the big bucks for it but I liked how he was one of the first to face the media after that devastating loss in game 7. He didn't cast any blame or make any excuses, but he didn't seem to be that kind of guy anyway.

I hope that he resigns here. If Nonis were serious on resigning him, should he do it before July of this year? I would think so but am not 100% sure on how these negotiations work.

I really hope I'm wrong on this, but I have this feeling that Nonis is going to try to trade Kessel while his value is high. I had read a couple of times that he didn't agree with the trade to acquire him in the first place, and apparently really wanted to trade him this season but there wasn't much on the market for his value. This may be a bit dramatic but Nonis' stony faced reaction to Kessel's game winning goals in this series might confirm this UNLESS that's just how Nonis is during any Leafs goals, ha.

I hope Kessel is here for a long time. Last time I hoped this hard was during Cujo's last year and we all know how that turned out.  :'(
 
If Nonis trades Phil WTH would he get? Top pick? We're not there anymore. A top scorer? He already is. If Nonis trades Phil it would have to be a historic haul. I wouldn't take Eric Staal even for him. Weber? Maybe. Just maybe and likely not.
 
lamajama said:
If Nonis trades Phil WTH would he get? Top pick? We're not there anymore. A top scorer? He already is. If Nonis trades Phil it would have to be a historic haul. I wouldn't take Eric Staal even for him. Weber? Maybe. Just maybe and likely not.
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You're right and I do ask myself the same thing. If Nonis traded Kessel, what the heck would he get for him? I don't see anyone out there that's worth it. So I hope he doesn't go that route.

I also hope that Nonis doesn't sit on this and allow the 2013-2014 season to come and go without a new contract. If that does happen, Kessel's signing with Minnesota in 2014. So I hope negotiations do take place this summer and I hope they go well, and I'm well aware that it does take both sides for that to happen. Here's hoping.
 
oakl0008 said:
I really liked Phil Kessel in this series. The one bright spot in this round was that he shut up the critics. I know it's his job and he gets paid the big bucks for it but I liked how he was one of the first to face the media after that devastating loss in game 7. He didn't cast any blame or make any excuses, but he didn't seem to be that kind of guy anyway.

I hope that he resigns here. If Nonis were serious on resigning him, should he do it before July of this year? I would think so but am not 100% sure on how these negotiations work.

I really hope I'm wrong on this, but I have this feeling that Nonis is going to try to trade Kessel while his value is high. I had read a couple of times that he didn't agree with the trade to acquire him in the first place, and apparently really wanted to trade him this season but there wasn't much on the market for his value. This may be a bit dramatic but Nonis' stony faced reaction to Kessel's game winning goals in this series might confirm this UNLESS that's just how Nonis is during any Leafs goals, ha.

I hope Kessel is here for a long time. Last time I hoped this hard was during Cujo's last year and we all know how that turned out.  :'(
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Surely he won't trade Kessel now.  He really stood out in this series.
 
sneakyray said:
probably just one guy for me...john tavares

so yeah, not going anywhere.
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So you could go get Nate McKinnon and be really really close to what JT was at the same age.  but, you set the whole rebuild back again if you do that, IMO, which means you should pretty much overhaul everything.
 
So GM Nonis gives praise to Kessel's performance in the playoffs, but isn't urgent to re-sign him this year as he has one year left on his contract.  ???

link

Is Nonis waiting to see how Kessel plays next season? Would it be that Kessel no longer wants to play for Toronto and wants to move on after 2013-2014, or at least heavily explore his options as a UFA? OR does it all depend on his buddy/bro Bozak resigning?

So many semi-dramatic unanswerable questions, so little time!  ;)

I'm nothing close to a general manager, but in all seriousness I would think that locking up someone like Kessel NOW would be a major priority so he doesn't walk away leaving the Leafs with nothing in 2014.
 
oakl0008 said:
So GM Nonis gives praise to Kessel's performance in the playoffs, but isn't urgent to re-sign him this year as he has one year left on his contract.  ???

link

Is Nonis waiting to see how Kessel plays next season? Would it be that Kessel no longer wants to play for Toronto and wants to move on after 2013-2014, or at least heavily explore his options as a UFA? OR does it all depend on his buddy/bro Bozak resigning?

So many semi-dramatic unanswerable questions, so little time!  ;)

I'm nothing close to a general manager, but in all seriousness I would think that locking up someone like Kessel NOW would be a major priority so he doesn't walk away leaving the Leafs with nothing in 2014.
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I could be completely out to lunch ere, but I don't believe they can re-sign Phil until the last year of his contract kicks in.  As well, Nonis probably wouldn't express too much urgency because they do have to negotiate the best deal that he can for the club.  Also, it's my personal belief (based on nothing tangible) that Phil is happy to be playing for this team and the fans.  I believe he's hoping to deal can be worked out and it's possible, if that is the case, that Nonis has some sense of that.  But that is pure speculation on my part.
 
If he says he feels pressure to get it done now or whatever, that gives Kessel and his agent more leverage. Saying what Nonis did keeps the balance from changing from where they already were. It's really that simple. He may very well feel a sense of urgency, but he's not going to express it to the public or make that known to Kessel's agent in any way right now.
 
bustaheims said:
If he says he feels pressure to get it done now or whatever, that gives Kessel and his agent more leverage. Saying what Nonis did keeps the balance from changing from where they already were. It's really that simple. He may very well feel a sense of urgency, but he's not going to express it to the public or make that known to Kessel's agent in any way right now.
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And that was the point I was trying to articulate.  Do you know whether they have to wait until his final year kicks in?
 
Maybe I'm looking at this through blue and white coloured glasses, but Kessel is one of the best the Leafs had since maybe Sundin (?) . He's still only 25 and it's only been 3/4 years here so any statement to his long term potential and about his tenure with the team is premature, but this current year showed what he could be capable of.

This may not be a fair comparison but as we all know, when Curtis Joseph had one year left in his contract, the Leafs failed to come to an agreement in the beginning of that season before he became a UFA. Right up until the end it appeared that Joseph would want to resign here. He even said so. And he probably did. We all know how it turned out and the did sign Belfour who was exceptional that season but I wonder if it all could have been prevented a year earlier. Who would the Leafs sign if Kessel walked in 2014? Kessel isn't irreplaceable, but he would have to be replaced if he were gone, and the Leafs could just prevent that situation by re-signing what they have long before that situation would occur. Of course both sides would have to be willing to compromise.

Again I'm no GM, know nothing concrete about hockey management and it isn't up to me, so the only reason that I'm flapping my jaw about this is because it's a fabulous fan board.  :) 8)

Bustahiems, you have a good point there. That does clarify draeko17's question. I heard that they couldn't negotiate after July for some reason? Not sure.
 
draeko17 said:
And that was the point I was trying to articulate.  Do you know whether they have to wait until his final year kicks in?
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He can't officially sign anything until the final year of his contract begins, but they can negotiate - and, really, the final year of his contract starts on July 1st, so, it's not exactly far in the future.
 
oakl0008 said:
Bustahiems, you have a good point there. That does clarify draeko17's question. I heard that they couldn't negotiate after July for some reason? Not sure.
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A lot of people confuse not being able to officially sign a contract with not being able to negotiate one. As long as Kessel is under contract to the Leafs, they're free to negotiate with him as much as they like. The caveat is that they can't officially sign him to anything until the final year of his contract begins. That happens at the beginning of July (that's when the league year officially begins and contracts officially roll over). There are no restrictions on a date past which they can no longer negotiate - unless he becomes a member of another team.
 
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