Speculation: Mark Madden: Penguins will try to trade Kessel this offseason

[Empoleon8771]

I'm listing it as "speculation" because I don't consider Madden credible enough for this to be considered a legit rumor. He said at 3 PM that he had a source "close to the Penguins organization and close to Kessel" tell him that the Penguins will actively look to trade Kessel this offseason, and Kessel is amendable to being traded. This seems to be stemming from well documented rifts between Kessel and Sullivan.

I don't think it makes sense for the Penguins to trade Kessel this offseason, but I've always thought Kessel wasn't going to finish his contract here. This isn't super unbelievable because Kessel and Sullivan do seem to have issues, Kessel never seemed like a long term fit with the Penguins and I honestly doubt Kessel wanted to come to Pittsburgh from Toronto in the first place. I could definitely see the Penguins wanting to sell high on Kessel after he had his career best regular season, since it doesn't seem likely that he'll be here in 2 years.

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[Epic Neal Time]

To Pittsburgh:
Andersson
Frolik

To Calgary:
Kessel

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

I'm listing it as "speculation" because I don't consider Madden credible enough for this to be considered a legit rumor. He said at 3 PM that he had a source "close to the Penguins organization and close to Kessel" tell him that the Penguins will actively look to trade Kessel this offseason, and Kessel is amendable to being traded. This seems to be stemming from well documented rifts between Kessel and Sullivan.

I don't think it makes sense for the Penguins to trade Kessel this offseason, but I've always thought Kessel wasn't going to finish his contract here. This isn't super unbelievable because Kessel and Sullivan do seem to have issues, Kessel never seemed like a long term fit with the Penguins and I honestly doubt Kessel wanted to come to Pittsburgh from Toronto in the first place.

As someone that despises the Penguins... I can't imagine that being remotely true. Hotbed of hockey pressure on a fringe playoff team, to cup contender (and twice winner), where he was the defacto #3 offensive all-star on the team. I can't imagine how that would have been a hard sell.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Why would they want to trade him? Hes a huge reason why they won 2 cups

 

[Empoleon8771]

To Pittsburgh:
Andersson
Frolik

To Calgary:
Kessel

Like I said on the Penguins board, Frolik had way too crappy of a season last year for me to want him as the centerpiece for Kessel. I think you're on the right track for what Kessel would bring back (a worse but more complete 2nd line winger and futures), but I'd want a lot better than that.

As someone that despises the Penguins... I can't imagine that being remotely true. Hotbed of hockey pressure on a fringe playoff team, to cup contender (and twice winner), where he was the defacto #3 offensive all-star on the team. I can't imagine how that would have been a hard sell.

Whenever he was first traded, he constructed his NTC to make himself virtually untradeable. That's why I don't think Kessel wanted to come to Pittsburgh, he wanted to stay in Toronto. He picked his teams on his NTC based on their ability to trade for him it seemed like, as in he would only allow trades to teams who were tight against the cap and couldn't easily fit him in.

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

I’d looooove Kessel in STL. Would probably have to pay a bunch to get him though.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Like I said on the Penguins board, Frolik had way too crappy of a season last year for me to want him as the centerpiece for Kessel. I think you're on the right track for what Kessel would bring back (a worse but more complete 2nd line winger and futures), but I'd want a lot better than that.

Coyle + #24?

 

[TorontoTrades]

Phil has been a beast in the playoffs and should have won the Conn Smythe.

Dont panic because you didnt three peat.

 

[AvatarAang]

I can't wait for Kessel to be traded for a larger return than the Leafs gave up just for casual hockey fans to ignore the fact that his cap hit isn't 8M anymore

 

[Liferleafer]

Matthews could use a skilled winger.....

 

[These Are The Days]

I have a hard time believing that many Penguins fans take him serious anyway.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

The classic “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

 

[Empoleon8771]

Phil has been a beast in the playoffs and should have won the Conn Smythe.

Dont panic because you didnt three peat.

I don't think the issue is that they didn't three-peat, the big issue is that Kessel and Sullivan apparently don't get along well at all.

Coyle + #24?

This might be a little low, but it still seems pretty reasonable as a start. I'd probably ask about Zucker to be honest, Zucker would make more sense since he's a LWer and the Penguins are weaker on LW.

Edit: I could also see Niederreiter being a logical target for the Penguins if Kessel would be going to Minnesota.

I have a hard time believing that many Penguins fans take him serious anyway.

Most don't take him seriously, but Madden does seem to have connections. He was really close with Rick Tocchet for example, he was probably the guy he was getting Penguins rumors from in recent years.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

Trading Kessel, most likely for a lesser asset, is a really bad idea, imo. He's the big reason why the Pens went from consistent playoff team to serious cup contender.

Yet, NHL teams do things that defy fan logic from time to time. For example, where was the logic in trading Subban for Weber, in terms of on-ice performance/asset management?

 

[TheBradyBunch]

Something around Hoffman for Kessel could make some sense.

Hoffman comes in at a 1.7mil lower cap hit (5.187m), but he makes only 300k less over the next two years than Kessel does. After that, Kessel's salary goes down to 4.8m/year, whereas Hoffman will be up for contract renewal and will probably get a raise.

 

[BHD]

Pretty sure Madden brought this up before, only for it to be denied by the rest of the Pittsburgh media.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I have a hard time believing that many Penguins fans take him serious anyway.

Mark Madden's too busy having a twitter war with Georges Laraque and retweeting pictures of porn stars to have time to listen to "sources close to the team".

 

[Lomez]

Simply put: Madden is an blowhard and an idiot who is rarely right about anything.

 

[PensandCaps]

I’d looooove Kessel in STL. Would probably have to pay a bunch to get him though.

Dunn would be apart of it for sure.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Pretty sure Madden brought this up before, only for it to be denied by the rest of the Pittsburgh media.

I think he even brought it up last off-season, even after the Pens just won the Cup for the 2nd time in a row.

That's the problem with people like Madden (and Kypreos). They'll keep repeating it until, at some point, they'll get something right and everyone will think they're in the know.

 

[WeWentBlues]

Get it done Army

 

[PensandCaps]

I can't wait for Kessel to be traded for a larger return than the Leafs gave up just for casual hockey fans to ignore the fact that his cap hit isn't 8M anymore

I fail to see how the leafs retaining salary makes it any better...that makes it worse. They got basically nothing for him. And they retained.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think he even brought it up last off-season, even after the Pens just won the Cup for the 2nd time in a row.

That's the problem with people like Madden (and Kypreos). They'll keep repeating it until, at some point, they'll get something right and everyone will think they're in the know.

I think the big difference is that it actually may make some sense this time around, if Kessel and Sullivan's issues are really as bad as they're implied to be. Let's not kid anyone, there are legitimate arguments for trading Kessel if he and Sully have a strained relationship. Mentioning it in the past was stupid, but in this case, it might have some merit.

 

[AvatarAang]

I fail to see how the leafs retaining salary makes it any better...that makes it worse. They got basically nothing for him. And they retained.

Leaf haters are hilarious.

They spend a decade with the same core and people make fun of them for not rebuilding.

They finally decide to blow it up and take less value in order to rebuild and the same people are complaining.

If the Leafs kept Kessel they would a hopeless pathetic team like they have been for most of the past decade. They would be in no better shape than Montreal, Edmonton etc.

The Penguins won two cups with Kessel. The Leafs set themselves up for a decade of being a playoff team. I can't see how both teams didn't win this trade.