VOB
Registered User
Rabid Ranger said:I'd be interested to see how Kessel would be fairing on Michigan right now. I've seen every Gopher game, and while it's clear Kessel isn't as prolific points-wise early on as I would have thought, his teammates have botched several gimmes off of his passes. I think once the team as a whole gets it together Kessel's numbers will jump considerably.
Kessel's playmaking abilities are underrated I think.
Kessel's "predicament" right now is very similar to what Jason Spezza went through a few years back. The hockey world expected him to be totally flawless during his draft year and every one of his miscues was magnified and so many were expecting so much more out of him. I remember that more than a few posters on this board were calling him a flop and a player who was too slow and soft for the NHL. Of course you won't find any of those posters today but Kessel is going through the same type of scrutiny.
Everyone expected him to roar out of the gate and average at least 3pts a game and put up Karyia type numbers. The fact that he has been one of the best Gophers has seemed to escape a lot people but I can understand why. Remember, this kid was supposed to be the next Crosby, heck even better than him. That was an unrealistic expectation and now suddenly you have people questioning whether he truly deserves the number one ranking.
I think that once his team gets off the booze (sorry couldn't resist) and starts playing as a team, Kessel's points will increase and he will regain some of that luster that he has apparently lost. He is just to good of a player not to.
As for Cogs though, he was a vastly underrated player who is indeed proving to be Kessel's equal.