Kessel traded to Penguins
- Thread starter GhostofPotvin29
- Start date
moon111
New member
And combined, their +/- was the same as Winnik's. Bozak was 9th in take-aways last season. As much as Kessel might of propped Bozak's offence, Bozak was the defensive-conscious of that tandem. So which Pittsburgh center is going to cover for Kessel? They're pretty competitive so they'll do it. But I can see that act wearing thin on them after awhile. It's one thing to give up the puck, especially if you carry it so much. But it's another thing to be digging in your pocket to see if you have enough coin to buy a hot dog while your team is left out to dry.Nik the Trik said:
GhostofPotvin29
New member
You know who had a worse +/- as a Leaf? Wendel Clark. I'm sure you all know though since it's always mentioned in discussions about Clark as a Leaf.
L K
Active member
Bullfrog said:
I think that's the biggest thing. Kessel's actually a fantastic passer and I think we watched Bozak flub a number of opportunities that either Kessel or Malkin would be able to finish. If he plays with Crosby I think it's likely we see something in the 40/50/90 kind of realm.
dappleganger
Active member
Bullfrog said:
I won't be surprised if he's in the battle for the Art Ross at the end of the year.
L K said:
For all the talk about how Crosby/Malkin will be the best centre that Kessel has ever had, Kessel will be the best winger that Crosby/Malkin have ever had. They'll get just as big of a boost from Kessel, if not more.
mr grieves
New member
Bullfrog said:
70.
Or lots.
Some guy did some math.
Here: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/how-many-goals-could-phil-kessel-score-with-penguins---trending-topics-145619690.html
mr grieves said:
The numbers that Crosby and Malkin put up when they play together is absolutely ridiculous. It was Byslma's one big trump card whenever the Pens were down and it often worked. For whatever reason their new coach never resorted to it, and he probably should have. Especially in the playoffs when goals just weren't happening. Hopefully he learns that mistake and we at times see a Malkin-Crosby-Kessel line. I'd put down money like for some sort of PPV event in order to see that for a full game.
bustaheims said:
This is a long standing issue with Kessel because, in large part, of Kessel.
His draft combine performance - no media was making that stuff up - those were test results. Kessel and his agent didn't dispute the account.
In Boston, he was praised one preseason for showing up in shape ... because previously he hadn't. Everyone happened to notice the difference.
Stupid remarks to the media like "skated 10 times maybe all summer" haven't helped his cause - that's self inflicted mismanaging perceptions.
Yes, he does look chubby and it's beyond his face. There have been a number of unflattering photos that do not demonstrate a truly lean, athletic physique
How many times have we seen him winded - or dragging his ass getting back?
Carlyle had some remarks about Bozak and Kessel not doing the work they should to recover from their injuries.
Media and others observing he's often the last on the ice and first off it at practice
Nonis remarked that some of his fitness testing was very good but other testing wasn't.
One hockey strength and conditioning coach remarked that at some point in his life, Phil had done fitness work to develop the strength that he has ... but he didn't go on to describe Phil's maintenance of that level - his tone was like it was a thing in his past.
Ever hear of the expression "where there's smoke, there's fire" ? Kessel's been smoking for a long, long time in this area. He can't be in absolutely terrible shape or he couldn't play the game blowing past dmen. That's clear. But all you have to do is look beyond his chubby face to see that this $8 mil per year athlete isn't exactly tuckering himself out to be a fit as he can be. It will shorten his career - you have to work harder as you age to sustain a hockey career.
And that is the knock on the player: he's very talented and skilled but he's limited in how much he's willing to put out. That was identified at his draft. Identified by Boston. Identified by Wilson ("uncoachable"). And it's basically been identified by the Leafs who effectively dumped a $8 mil/yr "franchise player" for a pretty poor return.
The fact the media has reported this stuff for years cannot be merely dismissed as a media thing because of the various cities - not one media outlet, because some of it is based on test results, some of it is based on the observations of others in the sport, etc.
No, Phil earned this criticism largely by himself. The teams that got him, they're not hanging on to him like he's a precious talent like Crosby, Stamkos and the other franchise players. They're dumping him .. for a declining return.
Bullfrog said:
or what the Penguins team does ....
Gary Roberts to oversee Penguins training at new Cranberry facility
cw said:
It was reported that Kessel would be working out with Roberts this summer in Toronto even before the Pittsburgh trade. Also, the whole Roberts-Pittsburgh connection has been overblown. He's in no way an actual part of the Pens organization and he still focuses most of his time and energy on his facility in Toronto.
Kin
New member
You know, a thought occurred to me the other night about the Leafs making Kapanen the centrepiece of this deal.
If you buy the idea that Maata and Pouliot are "better" prospects I think you also have to acknowledge that they also stretch the definition of "prospect". They're both in their 20's with NHL experience under their belt. Maata is a full time NHLer at this point and Pouliot almost certainly will be this coming year after a terrific half-season in junior.
"But doesn't that make them even more valuable? They're not question marks like Kapanen!"
Well, sure. But is that who the Leafs should be after? If you buy the idea that the Leafs are in for a rough few years, how eager should they be to expose talented young players to that right away? Most of us don't talk about the possibility of Nylander or Marner being on the team next year basically because we realize it would be a wasted effort and that, ultimately, we don't want to expose the team's brightest young players to what might be a legitimately ugly road ahead.
To take it a step further, I'm not super thrilled with the idea of Rielly being on the team for the years ahead. I realize there's very little they can do about it and I don't think it's a lost cause or anything but if someone came along and offered the Leafs good value for Rielly I'd have to consider it. If he's going to be 24 or 25 before the Leafs are really back in the thick of things and with some very tough seasons under his belt I do wonder about signability and the effect the market might have on him.
If you buy the idea that Maata and Pouliot are "better" prospects I think you also have to acknowledge that they also stretch the definition of "prospect". They're both in their 20's with NHL experience under their belt. Maata is a full time NHLer at this point and Pouliot almost certainly will be this coming year after a terrific half-season in junior.
"But doesn't that make them even more valuable? They're not question marks like Kapanen!"
Well, sure. But is that who the Leafs should be after? If you buy the idea that the Leafs are in for a rough few years, how eager should they be to expose talented young players to that right away? Most of us don't talk about the possibility of Nylander or Marner being on the team next year basically because we realize it would be a wasted effort and that, ultimately, we don't want to expose the team's brightest young players to what might be a legitimately ugly road ahead.
To take it a step further, I'm not super thrilled with the idea of Rielly being on the team for the years ahead. I realize there's very little they can do about it and I don't think it's a lost cause or anything but if someone came along and offered the Leafs good value for Rielly I'd have to consider it. If he's going to be 24 or 25 before the Leafs are really back in the thick of things and with some very tough seasons under his belt I do wonder about signability and the effect the market might have on him.