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Speculation: Kessel's Future?

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The Podium said:
Kessel should not, and will not, be traded. Where this notion came from, and what possessed fans to make 5 Kessel threads on the main boards is well beyond me. He is a star player, an elite scorer, that few can even match. For Gods sakes, to put it into context Sundin did not once make it to the top 6 in scoring! we take Kessel for granted. Actually, not even Gilmour reached that in his tenure here. Anyone last Leaf to be 6th in scoring?
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gilmour had 111 points and came 4th in points
took the leafs on his back, kessel will never.
kessel is gone when his contract is over, he cant handle the toronto spotlight.
trade him this year before we lose him for nothing.
he has a no trade that kicks in this summer.
 
ULF_55 said:
Kessel is a Gaborik type player.

I would have been okay if Burke had signed Gaborik as free agent, with zero compensation to anyone.
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I agree ULF

As for Kessel outscoring Kesler, Toews, Richards.... etc, it's not a big surprise that these players haven't reached the totals of Kessel, they are 3 of the most complete players in the entire league. They bring everything to their team, heart, leadership, AND POINTS. Not just ... POINTS.
 
cup67 said:
gilmour had 111 points and came 4th in points
took the leafs on his back, kessel will never.
kessel is gone when his contract is over, he cant handle the toronto spotlight.
trade him this year before we lose him for nothing.
he has a no trade that kicks in this summer.
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What is your definition of "handling the Toronto spotlight"? For a guy who can't handle the city he seems to be doing exactly what's expected of him while improving every year ON THE ICE....
 
Antropovsky said:
I agree ULF

As for Kessel outscoring Kesler, Toews, Richards.... etc, it's not a big surprise that these players haven't reached the totals of Kessel, they are 3 of the most complete players in the entire league. They bring everything to their team, heart, leadership, AND POINTS. Not just ... POINTS.
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I'd take a ~70 point season from the bolded over a 82 point season from Kessel.
 
Anyway, most people here are delusional. At this very moment, im only dealing Kessel if were getting a Benn in return. Young #1C who has the complete package. Anything else will ruin the team.
 
ULF_55 said:
He's a one zone, offensive player.

He's just darn good in that one zone.
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What are you talking about? He is a big problem for the other team in the neutral zone with his speed, passing, and puck-carrying ability.

Leaf fans are unbelievable. It's like there is no appreciation for elite talent, which is really weird considering how little of it we get to see as Leaf fans.
 
Did I miss the part in the presser where Nonis said anything at all about Kessel? He talked about valuable pieces, he brought up some players names here and there, but didn't mention Kessel. (seriously did he?)


He talked about players who didn't fit into Caryle's system, about contracts that were coming up.... thought he was indirectly speaking about Kessel.

Phil Kessel had it good under Ron Wilson.

Most practices, he could exit the ice early. He didn’t have to perform much in the way of extra stretching or conditioning. He could be the first to the ping-pong table in the dressing room and fend off any challengers.

After one practice with new coach Randy Carlyle, Kessel realizes the regimen will be stiffer, the new sheriff tougher.

“It’s going to be a lot harder . . . but it’s one day,” Kessel said after a 90-minute workout Sunday that was certainly more demanding in some ways than Wilson’s workout regimens.

“It’s not my cup of tea,” said Kessel, asked to lead the on-ice stretching — something he never did under Wilson.

“I’m not a big stretcher . . . is that fun? There was a lot of skating out there, so I think that will take some time to get used to. We’ll do it.”

When asked if he was worried about the demanding new regimen, Kessel was resigned to the fact the new coach was going to be different than the old one.

“What can you do,” Kessel said. “We have 17 games left here and we’re going to try our best under him.”
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http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs...for-maple-leafs-under-new-coach-randy-carlyle


Caryle said that he found it interesting when Leaf players were saying they were bag skated, Caryle said that he didn't bag skate them, thats his typical practise.

Anyways, I'd say that given the evidence, it's very unlikely that Kessel will enjoy playing for Caryle.
 
Volcanologist said:
What are you talking about? He is a big problem for the other team in the neutral zone with his speed, passing, and puck-carrying ability.

Leaf fans are unbelievable. It's like there is no appreciation for elite talent, which is really weird considering how little of it we get to see as Leaf fans.
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I noticed Kessel back checking hard too after Carlyle came in. I remember one game in particular where Kessel was on the ice protecting a one goal lead and he was grinding the opposing teams player against the board. Like a dog after a bone, I think Kessel can buy into the defensive system, he doesn't necessarily need to be physical, but with his stick work he can get a lot of takeaways. Kessel isn't the problem here, regardless of what we gave up. On the other hand if Nonis gets the sense Kessel is going to walk, we have to trade him for good value.
 
The Podium said:
Anyone else find it strange how this fanbase only turns on its star players? Kessel, Kabrele, McCabe, Sundin, etc. etc.
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Quite sad, distasteful and frankly disgusting. No different than giving a little kid an I phone 5, and have that very same kid scream and cry because there is a slightly better one on the way. The Leafs have one of the very best goal scoring wingers in the NHL on their own team, yet this thread is filled with, "well he's not good enough, or a complete player".
 
Antropovsky said:
No rebuttal? Just LOL? If he brings so much more, than why didn't you at least name a few things?

What else does he bring? Leadership, defensive acumen, heart?
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Kessel brings elite speed, the ability to handle the puck as well as a rushing defenseman, has underrated playmaking abilities that revived Lupul's career, and one shot goal scoring capabilities. No one ever called him a Selke winner, but what Kessel brings isn't something you easily find around the league. As far as leadership and heart are concerned, I have no idea how anyone would quantify that other than from a distance without being in the room or what's going on inside his head.
 
iPunch said:
The final score of the game

Detroit 1

Toronto 0(+heart)
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Interesting that you used Detroit in your little rebuttal, an organization that historically has built its teams around COMPLETE players. Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Yzerman, Lidstrom, Fedorov.

Holland would never build a team around Kessel.
 
Antropovsky said:
Interesting that you used Detroit in your little rebuttal, an organization that historically has built its teams around COMPLETE players. Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Yzerman, Lidstrom, Fedorov.

Holland would never build a team around Kessel.
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Once upon a time, before the Wings started winning, Yzerman wasn't really seen as much of a complete player.

In the end, they surrounded him with a cast full of future hall of famers, he matured as a person and a player and the Wings profited handsomely.

You know what would have been a dumb mistake, if Detroit had traded Yzerman to Ottawa as was rumored back in 1996. That would have been dumb...
 
Antropovsky said:
Interesting that you used Detroit in your little rebuttal, an organization that historically has built its teams around COMPLETE players. Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Yzerman, Lidstrom, Fedorov.

Holland would never build a team around Kessel.
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Brett Hull; who did he win his second cup with?

Who was the leading goal scorer in those playoffs?
 
iPunch said:
The final score of the game

Detroit 1

Toronto 0(+heart)
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bahahaha, exactly.


Baffles me that Leaf nation thinks so little of a point per game winger that will consistently put up 35+ goals a season and isnt even in his prime. Like we can just get Kadbury to step in and replace Kessels production once we trade him.
 
Dwight K Schrute said:
It is baffling how in one breath people can say without Kessel our team is in trouble and in the same breath say the trade for him was burkes biggest mistake. I'm tired of this garbage that he is not a 'franchise player'... what is that even supposed to mean?

Heres what I know:

Kessel scored 82pts last year

Here is a list of players who have never reached that total:


Anze Kopitar
Rick Nash
Bobby Ryan
Jonathan Toews
Ryan Kesler
Mike Richards

... and hes younger than them all but Toews.

I will be shocked if Seguin turns out to be a better player than kessel. People need to stop assuming that seguin is destined for greatness.

Dougie Hamilton also is getting a lot of undue praise. He looks like a slightly more talented Cody Franson to me.
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except alot of those players play an elite two-way game that easily makes up for the couple of points they get less. your acting like points are the only thing that matters in the NHL and news flash there are alot of players who put up less points but are much more valuable to there franchises. heck it can be argued that a guy like Dustin Brown when he plays like he did in the playoffs is alot more valuable to his team then anything we've seen from kessel.
 
Stephen said:
Kessel brings elite speed, the ability to handle the puck as well as a rushing defenseman, has underrated playmaking abilities that revived Lupul's career, and one shot goal scoring capabilities. No one ever called him a Selke winner, but what Kessel brings isn't something you easily find around the league. As far as leadership and heart are concerned, I have no idea how anyone would quantify that other than from a distance without being in the room or what's going on inside his head.
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His skills, help him score points. Which was what I said he brings, and little else. I agree Kessel brings a skill level that few others can offer. Lupul and him had great chemistry, but I wouldn't say Lupul was Jonas Hoglund and Phil was Mats Sundin. Lupul is a talented player in his own right, drafted 7th overall, and was ten points shy of a point per game game pace in Philly before injuries. He thought his NHL career was over a few years ago, and that reinvigorated him. Noone can undoubtedly say that his point totals were entirely a result of Kessel.

As far as "quantifying" his leadership abilities from a distance, where have you been since Kessel was drafted? It hasn't been the best kept secret, Kessel is shy, and socially awkward. He also has a well documented a history of publically questioning his coaches, and reportedly demanded a trade from Boston.
 
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