How are we going to get a player that we can build around for a player that we "can't" without giving up too much?
It´s called taking one step back to be able to take two step forward.
A player, younger and less established then Kessel but with the skills (2-way play, grit etc) and the characteristics of a player you build around (leadership, charisma etc). That´s how you trade a player you cant build around for one that you can. Lets say a team is stacked with leaders, 2-way gritty players but who miss out on a supreme individual in terms of offensive skills like Kessel then I am sure they would be interested to trade. Question is, would we?
I dont see how any player is going to want a starring role in this circus going forward.
Can you name any realistic options/scenarios? I can't.
Dregger ...Phil Kessel would want to be anywhere but Toronto.
Panic.![]()
He said this...?
When?
Burke would have stubbornly let him walk to free agency and put us over a barrel,see Grabovski $5.5 Million!!!! Kessel will be gone by next season before he can walk.Those who know hockey are happy today,those who thought Toronto was about to overpay for Luongo(negative value now) are crying.![]()
On TSN.
That is not a direct quote. The first part was "Some nights .."
Not even trollin' lol
We are so ****ed.
Gilmour's situation on Calgary. Clearly Doug was great and not just good. No longer would he sit backseat to Roberts and Theo.
He became something bigger and helped the Leafs.
Nonis has a huge part in Phaneuf's deal, not sure about Kessel..
Whether or not that plays a factor I'm not sure. But both are UFA's after next season. Maybe Nonis tries to flip Kessel for a #1 center while Kessel has term? Hoping JVR and Kulemin bounce back? We have more winger depth than center depth...
List our potential current wingers outside of Kessel
Lupul
JvR
Kadri
Kulemin
MacA
Frattin
Biggs
Komarov
Ashton
Leivo
Ross
Brown
These are guys who are potential top nine... some of our prospects won't make it, but that is 12 guys for six spots...
Kessel isn't a leader, he isn't the face of the franchise. I like the guy, but if we have the opportunity to upgrade to a legit #1C, why wouldn't we do it?
Like Kessel for Getzlaf? Permission to talk to Getzlaf in advance, extend Getzlaf...
Such a move, and I think the Leafs are a better team.
We have depth in Forwards.. not so much at the C.
We have depth in puck moving D...
This team needs a leader, a face of the franchise.
List our potential current wingers outside of Kessel
Lupul
JvR
Kadri
Kulemin
MacA
Frattin
Biggs
Komarov
Ashton
Leivo
Ross
Brown
These are guys who are potential top nine... some of our prospects won't make it, but that is 12 guys for six spots...
Kessel isn't a leader, he isn't the face of the franchise. I like the guy, but if we have the opportunity to upgrade to a legit #1C, why wouldn't we do it?
Like Kessel for Getzlaf? Permission to talk to Getzlaf in advance, extend Getzlaf...
Such a move, and I think the Leafs are a better team.
We have depth in Forwards.. not so much at the C.
We have depth in puck moving D...
This team needs a leader, a face of the franchise.
Kessel has been getting better, and one could argue that Getzlaf has been steadily declining. That, and he's about three years older. He's a first line centre if he can get above 70 points again, but can he on the Leafs? For now, I would feel more secure having a mediocre centre and a great winger than a potentially great centre and a mediocre winger.
This is OT to the extent that it doesn't involve Kessel, but if we're really desperate for a good centre, why aren't we talking about possibly trading either Gardiner or Rielly? We arguably need a centre more than we need two puck-moving defencemen (three if one counts Liles in the short term). That way we can have a great winger and a good centre.
How do you know this and what the hell Grabo got to do with it?
Do people think Burke picked up Kessel for his truculence? He was picked up because he's a great offensive talent and that's what he's become. Why trade the guy for performing EXACTLY (you could even argue better then) as advertised?
Now that Burke is gone, the team doesn't exactly owe anything to Kessel. It's evident that you cannot build a team around him. Yes he is a good player, but like anyone he can be moved.
What do you think will happen? Can you see the Leafs moving him before the trade deadline (2014).