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Toronto Maple Leafs: High Asking Price for Phil Kessel

By Diana Driscoll

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What will it take for the Toronto Maple Leafs to move Phil Kessel? A lot apparently—maybe much more than the eight teams (he has a partial no-trade clause) are just unwilling to agree to.

According to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun:

"Two hockey executives from rival teams said that over the past several weeks the Leafs have a price for Kessel that is way, way too high. So the executives are staying away until it comes down. Can’t blame Toronto for starting high. Why wouldn’t you?“They’re going to have to eat more of his salary than they think right now,” said one of the rival executives.Kessel’s partial no-trade clause lists eight teams he’s allowed to be dealt to, and my TSN colleague Bob McKenzie reported those to be: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins.Now, if a team outside that list made a good offer and Kessel was intrigued, that could also trigger a deal."

Of course, with the talent Kessel possesses and his large contract (he is signed through 2021-22 with an $8 million cap hit each of those years), the Leafs are going to ask for a lot. It makes complete sense that if the team is going to move the right winger it is going to be rewarded, handsomely, in return. The Leafs, the fans and the rest of the League know exactly what Kessel is capable of.

I call him “Fat Phil,” and I don’t mean for that to be insulting. He is just a little bulkier than most of the other players, yet his speed astounds me! I love watching Kessel play (especially on Team USA). I have watched how dangerous he can be, using his explosive speed and deft puck-handling abilities to weave around opponents and create scoring opportunities. It’s exciting to watch.

Sure, he has his struggles. Of course, people in Toronto are fed up with him. But that doesn’t take away from what he is able to do with the puck and what he can bring to a team (if surrounded by other talented players who aren’t struggling).

He is a five-time 30-goal scorer, Olympic silver medalist, and hasn’t missed a game since the 2009-10 season. That’s pretty impressive. Not to mention, he’s only 27 and is one of the most productive forwards in the NHL.

"Since the start of the 2008-09 season there are only six players in the NHL with more goals than Kessel’s 217 (Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Corey Perry, Rick Nash and Patrick Marleau. Jeff Carter is tied with Kessel).—Adam Gretz CBS Sports"

So criticize the guy all you want, he still can hack it. Just look at the company he keeps.

Maybe Kessel will fare better on a team that doesn’t just look to him to lead the offense. Going to a team with more depth would alleviate some of the pressure he feels in Toronto (the hockey market there alone could scare even the most elite players), and give him the opportunity to just play his game.

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This season, Kessel finished second on the team in goals with 25 and first on the team in scoring with 61 points. He did what he could to give his team a fighting chance, but only six other players were able to net goals in the double digits, and Kessel, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri were the only players to record more than 30 points over the course of the season.

I would say that Kessel isn’t the problem. But with him gone, the Leafs would open up cap space and might be able to add a few more quality players (or future draft picks).

Toronto has the upper hand in this scenario. Why? Because it doesn’t have to trade him. The Leafs could honestly ask for whatever they want, and if the team negotiates properly, it could end up with exactly what it needs for next season.

Next: Toronto Maple Leafs: Everyone's Available

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