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The Kesler Deadline Ordeal: What I Heard Happened |
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So every trade deadline we have some kind of situation similar to that of Ryan Kesler this year. Many have asked me what happened? Why is Ryan Kesler still a Vancouver Canuck? Why can't Mike Gillis ever make a trade?
It was definitely a tricky situation for all involved and not without some intrigue.
What I will try to do below is give you my version of the timeline from people I talked to and what I have been hearing went down in the days leading up to (and during) deadline day itself.
It is important to note that when I am writing here is nothing more than what I was told. I am not saying it's true, I am not saying it's false. Like the many rumors I hear throughout the year involving potential moves, I hear rumors involving what went down after the fact.
That is what this blog is about. Nothing more than speculation from me. I am sure many of you heard other rumors regarding this situation. I wouldn't say they are more right or less right then what I heard. I too heard other rumors not mentioned below, and after checking into some of them felt they weren't strong enough to put into the story. That doesn't mean anything. That's just me going on my instincts. My instincts could be completely wrong. (Insert joke here)
So here goes…
The fact that Ryan Kesler might have been okay with a trade from Vancouver really wasn't news.
People had long been speculating in my circles, and many other circles, Kesler may be open to a change. There were those who said he had issues with the coach and there were those who said he got along great with the coach. When you hear these conflicting reports the answer is usually somewhere in the middle...so I'll make that factor kind of irrelevant here.
Shortly after the Olympics, people over in Sochi Russia for the Olympics were talking about rumors they had heard that Kessler was saying to teammates and friends he was looking to get out of Vancouver. I checked into it with sources of mine very close to team USA and they said there was absolutely no truth to that at all. Or rather I should say they hadn't heard anything, and they are the people who would hear these kind of things.
That said, news broke ujpon Kesler's return that he wanted out of Vancouver. I immediately called some people I knew would know about this and was told, "well yeah that's been going on for months now." So even if Kesler hadn't been talking to people in Russia about wanting to be traded, the Canucks were already talking to teams about trading him. The bigger story felt to me to be why hasn't this gotten out already?
What did appear to change, when the report came out, was that suddenly many other teams -- besides the few who had been discussing Kesler with Vancouver -- were suddenly in the fray. It was all now in the open and with the trade of Roberto Luongo it was suddenly accelerated. The Canucks and Mike Gillis were faced with a decision. Was this the time to move Ryan and do a complete rebuild?
Suddenly many in the Canadian media were taking what I considered to be potshots at Ryan Kesler's character. Suddenly it was reported that Kesler would only play for an American team. To me, this seemed ridiculous given the man's own son was born in Canada and given his leadership with a Canadian team for years. I asked quite a few people if they thought this was true.
Some said things like, "well it could be true..he is definitely a different kind a guy, but I really doubt it." Others adding statements like, "I really doubt he would ever make such a wish known. Doesn't sound like him at all."
Next came the Ohio State, RJ Umberger, Columbus Blue Jackets controversy. I had one source say to me, "Yeah, that's ridiculous at worst overblown at best." Yet it was reported that Kesler had refused a trade to Columbus. I have a very few sources who say that's true and way more who say that's false. In the end I fully believe it's false and I'll tell you why.
The Jackets were definitely in on Ryan Kesler. it was reported all over. Talks were happening. Names were discussed. So just ask yourself: Before a team gets into discussions on a player with a widely known rumored issue regarding your team and one of your team's best players. Don't you think Columbus would have checked on that?
Sometimes the simple solution is the right one. I believe the price was just too high for Columbus to make the deal. The Blue Jackets have certain key pieces they consider their core...and they should. They are on the right track despite some hockey fans not giving them any respect whatsoever.
And then came the Penguins. The Penguins really wanted Ryan Kesler. The problem was the Penguins didn't have one of the big requirements needed by Mike Gillis. Actually demanded by Mike Gillis. The Penguins didn't have the topline center that they could give away. Sutter wasn't enough. And because of this the penguins were sort of out of this relatively early. Talking to people now they were out even before trade deadline day. We in the media of course didn't get that message because the Canucks wanted people to believe the penguins were still in it because that would draw the Flyers and the Rangers into it.
The Flyers were in it until the last hour, but I still believe that's because they thought the penguins were in it. The Flyers had the pieces. Brayden Schenn was probably the best piece the Canucks were looking at. I was talking to my sources and they were pretty unanimous on this next part. The flyers weren't going to move Schenn for another center.
The Flyers know they have some key pieces, but will only consider moving them for a top four defenseman. In their opinion none were available at the trade deadline... maybe at the draft.
Meanwhile there was a definite power struggle going on in Vancouver. Mike Gillis appears to have been in favor of the rebuild, while ownership wasn't willing to give Kesler away for anything less than a spectacular return. Meanwhile the Bruins were sitting with a deal that would bring them Alex Edler. They were being told Edler would only be available if Kesler was moved...otherwise the team would continue to compete this year with both and try to "Hold their window open."
The Flyers were of course waiting as well on Edler, because if the Bruins didn't get Edler they were prepared to make a trade for Meszaros. Which of course is what inevitably happened.
The Penguins had made it known that they would make a trade for Kesler if the requirement for a center was removed. I hear that is where the power struggle really took hold until finally in the waning hours before the deadline some other teams came in with pretty interesting offers for Kesler. One being Toronto and another being Montreal. Two teams, who last I checked, are in Canada.
What I don't know is if Kesler suddenly broadened his range to include Canadian teams or if Canadian teams were always an option as had been suspected by most of my sources. Either way if the deal could be worked out he was heading there. He was staying in Canada.
Despite Gillis desire to begin the rebuild now, he was fortunate to have the luxury of knowing both these players could be moved at the draft. In many ways it reminds me of Rick Nash and how Columbus shopped him around to get an idea of the price range a whole year before he was traded. What Columbus found out however is how prices change over the course of the year. What we didn't know at the time was that Rick Nash had requested a trade.
And what we don't know now is if Ryan Kesler has "actually"requested a trade. People are acting as if this was widely assumed, however among the people I was talking to it was always much more like he was open to the idea. Which given Kesler's character makes a lot more sense.
The market really wasn't there the deadline. Remember the Rangers were out of this the second the Marty St. Louis trade went down. The Flyers were in it but more as a way of keeping on top of what was happening. The Penguins didn't have the center. The Blackhawks also tried to make a deal, but were in many ways shut out by being not just in conference but also the hated enemy.
The Anaheim Ducks tried as well. When talks regarding Thomas Vanek fell through but again they were in conference.
Essentially it was one thing to "sell a rebuild," but it was another thing altogether to trade those players to other teams in the West. That wasn't apparently even up for debate.
So 3 o'clock hit and Ryan Kesler, Alex Edler and the Vancouver Canucks decided to wait on the rebuild and continue on with the 2013-2014 season. I think it was the right move given the returns were not worth the losses. I think Mike Gillis handled this pretty well.
What do you think?
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