Ryan Wilson: Phil Kessel to the Wild heating up Phil Kessel to the Wild heating up

Maybe. We can hope. GMJR knows he must do something. The question still is, how big will this makeover be? I’m still thinking it’s going to be a big/busy offseason.

Maybe. We can hope. GMJR knows he must do something. The question still is, how big will this makeover be? I’m still thinking it’s going to be a big/busy offseason.
- Dr Blob

I hope he doesn't trade Phil. Doing something just to "do something" is (frank)ing stupid.

I think RW would keep someone like Antonio Brown on the Steelers just because he has talent.....mean while completely neglecting that he's a bad team player.

There are tons of rumors on Kessels attitude....He can't play with 87 or 71....get rid of him.

I hope he doesn't trade Phil. Doing something just to "do something" is (frank)ing stupid.
- j.boyd919

I think it’s a potentially worse than that. If it really is about some coach rift? Worse than the reason of a shakeup.

I love Zucker and think he's exactly what Malkin needs and has been my main target. Very fast. Strong at both ends, even kills penalties and has gotten Selke votes. 4 1/2 years younger.

Even strength scorer: Has 173 career ES points compared to 36 PP points so like Guentzel he doesn't need to be on the top PP to produce which is important here.

Good bounce back potential: In a down year he had 21g and 42 points. Last year had 33 and 64, 25 and 46 at ES.

For context Kessel has been 15 or 22 ES goals (both twice) and 40, 42, 48, and 46 ES points. So at ES, Zucker is capable of producing just as much offense as Phil while adding speed and caring about defense.

PP, Phil is one of the best and they'll miss him, but this will be a big help for Malkin if it happens.

Other parts of the trade. Who isn't excited about getting rid of JJ. Pens move 2 big possession drains from their second unit which should really help Malkin. If losing JJ was the sweetener (and as much as I do like Zucker they deserve one for Phil) this would be a massive win.

4M for Rask though ugh. He won't pull them like JJ did, but they have a good 4C lined up in Blueger so this doesn't help at all. If we need to take back salary, Foligno who is an overpaid at 2.85M for 2 year but competent (good for about 20 points and break even or slightly better analytics) would be my choice.

Really, you see NOTHING to like about Sullivan’s tenure?

Well... IF the Wild would eat a bit of that Rask cap, or just... him not included (JJ and a 3rd or something instead of taking Rask)... its a net win in my opinion.

I don't want to lose Kessel, but if getting someone back who is a good 2nd line player and shedding JJ without taking back another JJ... you sadly do it.

Well... IF the Wild would eat a bit of that Rask cap, or just... him not included (JJ and a 3rd or something instead of taking Rask)... its a net win in my opinion.

I don't want to lose Kessel, but if getting someone back who is a good 2nd line player and shedding JJ without taking back another JJ... you sadly do it.
- Guile

The way I look at Rask is you pay more, get one less year and a player who can be a useful 4th liner. Plus, he’s a player who won’t have a negative impact on the top lines from producing offense.

I read an interesting wrinkle from a fan saying that the Wild would need to add. So maybe we also swap first rounders in the deal

The biggest thing for me with Phil was that I read he wasn’t treating the staff properly ie the trainers. When you combine that with his gambling and the coaching rift then I’ve heard enough

One more Zucker stat: his team's on ice shooting percentage was an even 6%. Again, great bounce back potential. 25g 50pt is a conservative estimate and that's not even talking about going from Minnesota to Pittsburgh, playing with Malkin, or that just a year prior he had 33 and 64.

One more Zucker stat: his team's on ice shooting percentage was an even 6%. Again, great bounce back potential. 25g 50pt is a conservative estimate and that's not even talking about going from Minnesota to Pittsburgh, playing with Malkin, or that just a year prior he had 33 and 64.
- Tojo.

I don’t think anyone doubts Zucker is a good player or that he’d be effective. It’s just, you’re moving a player with elite abilities and not getting that in return.

Tough pill to swallow even if you’re ridding the team of JJ.

One more Zucker stat: his team's on ice shooting percentage was an even 6%. Again, great bounce back potential. 25g 50pt is a conservative estimate and that's not even talking about going from Minnesota to Pittsburgh, playing with Malkin, or that just a year prior he had 33 and 64.
- Tojo.

Very fair. Not to mention that Malkin is going to benefit from him as well. I think this move makes us better at ES and more importantly it could make us better in the locker room. I’m friends with a guy who loves Rask. Says he’s a great team guy. Could go a long way for Hornqvist and Petts to have another Swede in the room after losing Hagelin

No Kessel on the PP just means more touches for Sid and the gang. I’m fine with having Letang and Schultz on the first unit and if we get rid of JJ then it’s that much more likely we re-sign schultz. Let Petts run PP2, he had mild production there last year. Let him try to build off it. Plenty of possible positives

PIT trading Kessel for Zucker is horrible. Kessel is better than Zucker will ever be. Has to be more in the offer, perhaps:

Zucker + Dumba + Foligno FOR Kessel + Maatta + Johnson (+maybe prospect or mid rnd pick)?

PIT can then deal Shultz (or Letang) if they want, perhaps to get a winger or 3C (Kadri for Shultz?)

PIT trading Kessel for Zucker is horrible. Kessel is better than Zucker will ever be. Has to be more in the offer, perhaps:

Zucker + Dumba + Foligno FOR Kessel + Maatta + Johnson (+maybe prospect or mid rnd pick)?

PIT can then deal Shultz (or Letang) if they want, perhaps to get a winger or 3C (Kadri for Shultz?)
- mventres

You done lost your mind.

I don’t think anyone doubts Zucker is a good player or that he’d be effective. It’s just, you’re moving a player with elite abilities and not getting that in return.

Tough pill to swallow even if you’re ridding the team of JJ.
- Rinosaur

I think the xGF that RW posted shows well what I'm saying: Zucker is a better option at ES than Phil.

Overall I agree because Phil is that good on the PP that the Pens should get a sweetener. if they do (and ridding themselves of JJ is a nice sweetener though if it means bringing back Rask it's not enough).

But since Schultz or Guentzel can help some of that PP loss, this is a trade the Pens can be a better team for this trade. To me, I'll call this a win or loss depending on the rest of the deal. Zucker for Phil and losing JJ will make us much better 5v5. And Rask, though a bad contract, replaces Cullen or Wilson so that's not a high bar either.

PIT trading Kessel for Zucker is horrible. Kessel is better than Zucker will ever be. Has to be more in the offer, perhaps:

Zucker + Dumba + Foligno FOR Kessel + Maatta + Johnson (+maybe prospect or mid rnd pick)?

PIT can then deal Shultz (or Letang) if they want, perhaps to get a winger or 3C (Kadri for Shultz?)
- mventres

Matt Dumba is an absolutely tremendous young defender. He’s 24 and already has 150 points in the league. What’s more valuable in today’s NHL: a well rounded 50 pointer top pairing D man or a one dimensional point per game player playing with some of the best players in the world (someone else just eluded that Phil maybe gets 70 points on the Wild). If MN did Dumba for Kessel straight up I’m sure they would be looking for yet another new GM. He’s quite likely going to be their franchise defender, they won’t give him up for a few seasons of Phil

If we wanted to play around with this deal I’d ask MIN to thrown in Foligno with 50% retention to round out the 4th line.

The reality of a Kessel trade when trading for a forward is you’re just not going to win the trade.

I think the xGF that RW posted shows well what I'm saying: Zucker is a better option at ES than Phil.

Overall I agree because Phil is that good on the PP that the Pens should get a sweetener. if they do (and ridding themselves of JJ is a nice sweetener though if it means bringing back Rask it's not enough).

But since Schultz or Guentzel can help some of that PP loss, this is a trade the Pens can be a better team for this trade. To me, I'll call this a win or loss depending on the rest of the deal. Zucker for Phil and losing JJ will make us much better 5v5. And Rask, though a bad contract, replaces Cullen or Wilson so that's not a high bar either.
- Tojo.

I don't think it's as easy as just putting Guentzel on the 1PP. He's a left handed shot and that is going to handcuff him with passes coming from Letang. Schultz on the other hand could at least load up a 1-timer, but I dunno. I personally don't see a way where trading Kessel makes the Pens better, at ES probably while that is valuable for most of the league, but adding in his PP production, which is elite, I think outweighs the move totally.

Outside of getting a team to take Johnson, the only way I see the Pens making the best of moving Kessel is moving him for an upgrade over Schultz, then either capdump Schultz for futures and sign Zucc or Gus, or move a Schultz-based package for a legit top six winger.

I think there could be a right Phil trade centered around Zucker, but it’s not Phil and Johnson for Zucker and Rask. When you decided that you’re gonna move a PPG for the sake of moving him you need to maximize your return, and using him to dump a bad contract isn’t that. If Rutherford wants out of Johnson, he needs to suck it up and buy him out. The dead cap isnt terrible, and well worth bleeding Minnesota out of every last asset rather than downgrading Phil to Zucker and taking back (frank)ing Rask.

Rask had a pretty terrible year last year, but I've looked at various stats from previous years, passing, zone entry/exits, etc... and they aren’t horrible.

Rask IMO can be an effective fourth line player, albeit a $4M one, but I’d rather spend $4M on an effective 4th liner than even the league minimum on JJ.

Rask had a pretty terrible year last year, but I've looked at various stats from previous years, passing, zone entry/exits, etc... and they aren’t horrible.

Rask IMO can be an effective fourth line player, albeit a $4M one, but I’d rather spend $4M on an effective 4th liner than even the league minimum on JJ.
- Rinosaur

Yeah I’d rather just get an actual valuable asset and eat dead cap on Johnson than cheapen the Phil return with Rask.

I don't think it's as easy as just putting Guentzel on the 1PP. He's a left handed shot and that is going to handcuff him with passes coming from Letang. Schultz on the other hand could at least load up a 1-timer, but I dunno. I personally don't see a way where trading Kessel makes the Pens better, at ES probably while that is valuable for most of the league, but adding in his PP production, which is elite, I think outweighs the move totally.
- j.boyd919

As Tojo eluded to, Malkin likely gets better at ES with Zucker on his line. It’s entirely possible we see the return of 3 digit Geno and maybe Zucker gets up to 60 points or so consistently

Our PP will indeed when Kessel leaves. Schultz is the ideal target. The play I mentioned last week we’ve actually seen from Schultz before. He starts on the left side of the umbrella. Letang gets the puck up top and dishes to Geno, he then heads down main street. Geno can one time it with three guys heading to the net, he can give it down low to Sid who can now hit Schultz back door, whoever is in front, or Letang in the slot, or if the defender follows Letang it leaves an absolutely huge hole for Schultz to walk into a return 1-T and we still have 3 guys in an around the net. Still plenty of options for the PP that was great pre Phil and will be great post Phil