Ryan Wilson: Trading Phil Kessel should be a yearly topic, but not like this Trading Phil Kessel should be a yearly topic, but not like this

Is there a blog quota that you have to meet?

Kessel should have gone to Vegas, cause he could win every scoring title, mvp, and cup every single year and he still wouldn't get a lick of respect.

Kessel should have gone to Vegas, cause he could win every scoring title, mvp, and cup every single year and he still wouldn't get a lick of respect.
- mgriffen

Pens fans love him. The media just doesn't give him the respect. But (frank) those guys anyways.

With the exception of Sidney Crosby, and to a lesser extent Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins should always think about the idea of trading/replacing any player on the roster. But that doesn't mean they should actively pursue all of them, simply to consider them.

Pens fans love him. The media just doesn't give him the respect. But (frank) those guys anyways.
- j.boyd919

It's strange how all the media, despite being in different cities, all hate him. I guess they dislike a guy who won't kiss their ring.

Ron Cook's article about Kessel and Sullivan's relationship "souring" the other day is yet another prime example of worthless media spewing bullpoop. Do any of the Pens even talk to Cook? He's such a hack.

It's strange how all the media, despite being in different cities, all hate him. I guess they dislike a guy who won't kiss their ring.
- AdamFrench

Yep. Exactly.

It's strange how all the media, despite being in different cities, all hate him. I guess they dislike a guy who won't kiss their ring.
- AdamFrench

They are jealous he makes a ton of money, looks the way he does and won't do what they want him to do all the time.

It's strange how all the media, despite being in different cities, all hate him. I guess they dislike a guy who won't kiss their ring.
- AdamFrench

Has Kessel even played pro hockey?

Poor Phil. Has his best year ever and still gets dumped on by the media. What does he have to do? I cry a little thinking what him and Matthews could have done as line mates.

On a positive note, I don't think he gives two poops what anyone thinks.

His point totals seem to go up as he gets fatter...

Had similar problems in Toronto. A lot of fans really liked and appreciated him. For some reason he's always "on the chopping block" in the media's eyes.

Pens fans love him. The media just doesn't give him the respect. But (frank) those guys anyways.
- j.boyd919

Yohe iladvisidly came to bat for Cooke on twitter and he said this happens because Kessel is flat out rude to media. I think Phil may be a bit on the spectrum, and while that’s no excuse for being rude to people, I think it’s incredibly unprofessional by journalists to drag a guy through the mud because he doesn’t play ball with them. That’s not reporting, that’s using your medium to conduct a vendetta.

It's always amazing, how it goes

Some guys get tagged with a label and it sticks, no matter what they do or how unproductive they become, particularly with regard to their cap hit

I saw it with Mark Messier, who was clearly not a great teammate in Vancouver but was still "a leader"

You see it now with Kessel. He is never gonna shake the negative label(s) he has, and on the one day something changes and it becomes more or less true, some ridiculous person is gonna pop up and say "I told you so!"

His point totals seem to go up as he gets fatter...
- Iggysbff

I had a professor tell me once that body appearance is a poor determinant for human performance

Some "fat" guys are as strong as a struck, if they actually use muscles required for working. Some physical specimens don't have nearly the production their appearance might suggest because they develop muscles that actually aren't useful for working

Pretty sure Phil Kessel, who is a Top-50 player in the world's best hockey league, is in better shape than anyone on the boards

I had a professor tell me once that body appearance is a poor determinant for human performance

Some "fat" guys are as strong as a struck, if they actually use muscles required for working. Some physical specimens don't have nearly the production their appearance might suggest because they develop muscles that actually aren't useful for working

Pretty sure Phil Kessel, who is a Top-50 player in the world's best hockey league, is in better shape than anyone on the boards
- AllInForFlyers

Sounds like something a very large individual would say

I had a professor tell me once that body appearance is a poor determinant for human performance

Some "fat" guys are as strong as a struck, if they actually use muscles required for working. Some physical specimens don't have nearly the production their appearance might suggest because they develop muscles that actually aren't useful for working

Pretty sure Phil Kessel, who is a Top-50 player in the world's best hockey league, is in better shape than anyone on the boards
- AllInForFlyers

Oh wow a professor ! Please go on

I had a professor tell me once that body appearance is a poor determinant for human performance

Some "fat" guys are as strong as a struck, if they actually use muscles required for working. Some physical specimens don't have nearly the production their appearance might suggest because they develop muscles that actually aren't useful for working

Pretty sure Phil Kessel, who is a Top-50 player in the world's best hockey league, is in better shape than anyone on the boards
- AllInForFlyers

I Think what he or you are trying to say is power/strength is totally different then endurance. Not very easy to have a player that has both at extreme high levels. From what Ive heard Phil is VERY strong like guys like Stamkos . Just probably doesnt train much endurance because that usually looses strength. From what Ive heard Phil can deadlift over 500 pounds... I can tell you that isnt natural strength to be able to do that. Would indicate to me he works legs A LOT! From athlete percentages if thats true there is probably only 10 guys in the entire NHL that can do that.

I remember several years ago during March Madness there was a "64 Most Annoying Sports Media People in Pittsburgh" tournament. Ron Cook was (unsurprisingly) a 2 seed. However he was in the same bracket with Rob Rossi (1) and MM (3) and didn't have a chance. Paul Staggerwald was a one seed in another bracket but beat by Rich Walsh (2 - not really an upset). The championship matchup was Rossi and Colin Dunlap, with Rossi (unsurprisingly) winning. The sad thing is that just about everyone deserved their seeding.

Even if the Pens wanted to trade Kessel, which I don't think they do and which does not make any sense at all, he would need to be significantly outperforming his contract to get a fair return. Although I think he is doing good and a positive team asset it is extremely difficult to outperform a $6.8M contract that has four years left on it.

I heard Kessel went into a restaurant, and he ate all the food in the restaurant, and they had to close the restaurant.

I heard Kessel went into a restaurant, and he ate all the food in the restaurant, and they had to close the restaurant.
- Zezel

Lol. Classic Phil.

I love Phil and don't want him traded but would certainly entertain offers. We do need to restock the cupboards at some point. There are some big names on the free agent market this year too if we save cap space.

I was really hoping we'd get a shot at Kane. Signing Kane and trading Phil for a haul would have been a great long term move.

I'd like to bring Saad home but the Hawks would definitely be adding on that deal.

Hoffman makes more real dollars throughout his contract so that's something OTT may want to do.

Sounds like something a very large individual would say
- ChrisMS

LOL

Dream on

Just one of those people who has lived long enough to know the difference between tensile strength and ductile strength, and how that applies to humans