Phil Kessel had a bad season. Well, more like a really bad half-season. But, if there is reason for optimism, it is that his numbers were simply so bad that they just aren?t repeatable. It would reasonable to expect a bounce-back year in 2015-16.
What will not improve in the offseason is Kessel?s trade value. Teams may focus more on his short-term shortcomings and the stench of that awful 2014-15 Leafs team as a whole. Offers may amount to pennies on the dollar, which would see a top player in the league leave Toronto for not much in return. This does not benefit the Leafs now, nor will it benefit them five years from now.
The Leafs also have some potential NHL-ready players in William Nylander and Connor Brown for next season. They may also draft a player this offseason that is ready to make that step. In any event, it is in the Leafs? long-term interest that these players need to be eased into the NHL and not thrown off the deep-end.
On a skeleton roster where every top six player is harvested for spare parts, this is simply not possible. But, if you retain some top six talent for next season, it allows players like Nylander and Brown to develop in easier minutes. If one believes as I do that Kessel will bounce back offensively, this will remove a lot of the pressure on these players to produce.
