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For team looking for secondary scoring, Phil Kessel is a bargain

June 21, 2021, 4:25 PM ET [14 Comments]
Kevin Allen
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Watched a report on the NHL Network Sunday about how multiple teams could be interested in acquiring Phil Kessel this offseason and it made me smile.

How long has the hockey world been dismissive of Kessel's accomplishments and value?

At least a decade. But here we are at the end of his 15th season and the reporter's point was that Kessel could be an attractive option for a team looking for secondary scoring.

The Coyotes presumably won't be asking for the moon and the stars in return for Klessel.

Now 33, Kessel netted 20 goals and registered 43 points in 56 games for a team that ranked 23rd in scoring. Fourteen of Kessel's goals came at even-strength. No other player on his team scored 20 goals.

He still looks more like your buddy nextdoor than an elite athlete, but he was among only 40 players this Covid-19 season to net 20 or more.

Kessel had the same number of goals as Nathan MacKinnon. John Tavares didn't have 20. Patrick Kane only had 15. The New York Islanders didn't have a single player with 20 goals.

I have always rooted for Kessel because I've believed him to be underappreciated and misunderstood. I consider him a introverted guy who liked to score goals and be left alone. For years, teammates have told me Kessel is a funny guy who gets along well with everyone in the dressing room. But he doesn't enjoy the spotlight and appreciates his privacy.

He's not the league's best all-around player. He's not going to win the Selke Trophy. Kessel cashes checks. He doesn't throw checks. What he does well is score goals, and he does that better than most. It's fun to watch him slide into the soft areas of defensive coverage. He's still an entertaining player.

In an era when it is challenging to score, Kessel has put up 391 goals in 15 years. That's an average of 26 goals per season. With 904 career points on his resume, he should be able to reach the 1,000 point plateau.

Kessel played an essential role in helping the Pittsburgh Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. Have we already forgotten that he netted 18 goals and 45 points in those two championships.

On the broadcast I watched, it was pointed out that this season, the last on Kessel's contract, he is to receive $5 million mid-summer and then he has just $1 million left of base salary.

That should make him very attractive on the trade market. So many teams need secondary scoring and also are being tortured by salary cap issues.

There's no doubt teams will be interested at that price.

Kessel has never been a perfect player, but I have always believed he loved to play hockey. He cares more than people think he does. People like to joke about Kessel's physique. But we should be celebrating his career. Say what you will about how he plays, but know that he will go down as one of top American-born players in the game's history.

I will continue to root for his success. Go, Phil, go.
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