Are you happy that Phil Kessel is gone?

[Bomber0104]

Simple question and poll, folks:

Are you happy that Phil Kessel is no longer a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs?

With everything that is happening with the Leafs (a dedication to hard work, hustle, and commitment, for once, to the coach's system) and with everything that is happening with Pittsburgh right now (an absolute mess systemically, Phil producing at a lousy rate with two of the best centres in hockey), are you happy Phil is there and not here?

If not, explain why Phil would improve this organization and why Pittsburgh would sorely miss him...

Look forward to the discussion...

Click to read more...

 

[Quarter]

Where's the option for "I'm over it"?

 

[Man Bear Pig]

He needed to go, simple as that.

 

[exporta]

Would have liked to see what Babcock could have done to his game. That being said, Babcock and Kessel did speak before the trade and a recent THN article suggests that Babcock pressured management in moving him.

I was a bit disappointed in the return, but our options were limited. If Kapanen, Harrington or the pick equates to something useful on a successful team I am ok with that. Spaling has been useful, but think his tenure will be short in Toronto.

All in all, I don't know Kessel, so I trust that the decision wasn't rash. He's a guy that can generate offense on his own, without an elite centre.

As for Pittsburgh, I would almost try three scoring lines Crosby line, Malkin line, Kessel line. Giving Kessel weaker competition and creating match up nightmares.

 

[HellasLEAF]

I really am happy yes. Loved Phil but feel it was also a poor decision that forced him upon us by Burke. There's no way his 'frustrated on the ice' personality would have worked under Babcock.

*shudder* my god it's amazing how stupidly this franchise was run..

 

[Mats13]

Do I like the direction of the team since Kessel was traded (more like since Shanny got here)? Yes, yes I do.

Having said that, Kessel was not ever the problem. I think it was time for a change, but Phil Kessel was my favourite player for 6 years and was often the only reason to watch the Leafs.

Say what you want about him, but Phil Kessel made hockey exciting and was fun to watch. It's not his fault Burke traded so much for him and then Nonis put garbage around him.

Overall the team was trash, but Kessel kept us good enough to not get a great pick, yet he wasn't enough to do it all himself. At that point, the only rational idea was to tear it down and try again.

 

[A1LeafNation]

babcock wanted no part of kessel. couldnt boot him out fast enough.

 

[teeder333*]

Just watched the documentary on the Summit Series in 72 between Russia and Canada. Anybody with a hockey brain could have seen that the Russians were marvelous hockey players.

The reason Canada was so unprepared for this great Russian team. A scouting report by two NHL scouts, BOTH OF WHOM worked for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Lols. Our guys said these guys were chopped liver. Couldn't compete with us. Yeah, Toronto hasn't had good management in a long, long time.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

babcock wanted no part of kessel. couldnt boot him out fast enough.

Can't blame him. Kessel is the polar opposite of what any coach wants. Doesn't work out, doesn't watch his nutrition(everything points to this), isn't all that great with the media(not a big deal but it doesn't look good) and worst of all he simply relied on his God given talent. Not someone you want as the focal point in a rebuilding situation and not someone you want the youngsters looking up to.

 

[Menzinger]

Abstractly Kessel is a fine player who delivers exactly as advertised- an offensive Centric winger.

That said, given his age and contract it made absolute sense for the Leafs to trade him when they did. Older vets aren't a great way to build a team around (a good lesson for the Stamkos thread perhaps).

 

[burpsalot]

Do I like the direction of the team since Kessel was traded (more like since Shanny got here)? Yes, yes I do.

Having said that, Kessel was not ever the problem. I think it was time for a change, but Phil Kessel was my favourite player for 6 years and was often the only reason to watch the Leafs.

Say what you want about him, but Phil Kessel made hockey exciting and was fun to watch. It's not his fault Burke traded so much for him and then Nonis put garbage around him.

Overall the team was trash, but Kessel kept us good enough to not get a great pick, yet he wasn't enough to do it all himself. At that point, the only rational idea was to tear it down and try again.

Not fun for me to watch, he drove me frikkin crazy. If I played on his team I would want to beat him senseless every other night.

 

[Bomber0104]

Not fun for me to watch, he drove me frikkin crazy. If I played on his team I would want to beat him senseless every other night.

Maybe that's Pittsburgh's problem...

Crosby and Malkin haven't called Kessel out on his b****-ass play yet?

 

[HellasLEAF]

The fact that he was really the only one traded also speaks volumes.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

Happy is a strong word to use. It was necessary that he be traded in order for the franchise to move forward and help kick-start the rebuild.

I don't miss the guy, but I do wish things had turned out differently for him here.

 

[Lauro]

AS happy as I was the day he got traded: very happy.

 

[Bomber0104]

Happy is a strong word to use. It was necessary that he be traded in order for the franchise to move forward and help kick-start the rebuild.

I don't miss the guy, but I do wish things had turned out differently for him here.

It's OK, you can be happy.

Have the Courage to not be so PC about it !!!!

 

[animalanimal]

i like kessel. i'm not 'happy' he's gone. but he had to go because we're rebuilding. so i don't want him back nor am i happy he's gone. he'd be ruining our draft position right now if he was here by scoring goals, who needs that.

our leading scorer wasn't the problem. that is a laughable position. it was a terribly run team that wasn't built in a way to win.

 

[Bomber0104]

This poll must come as quite a shock to all those who thought that trading two 1st round picks and a 2nd would be a good way to kickstart a rebuild, eh?

Yikes.

 

[champs*]

 

[RonEllisFan]

Tons of skill, just don't fit into many hockey systems, straight ahead speed sniper, him and grabner on the same line would work in run and gun. Not great in a hockey town as well, media eats him up. Thought he was the savior when he came here, did not take long for the shine to wear off. Seems to doing the same in Pitt, Dion and Leo same points +-1. That's got to tell you something, I thought the only thing he was missing was a skilled center, wrong again. Maybe new coach there might help him. I hope so.

 

[Blufreezy]

I don't really care that he's gone and I do. Part of me hates how he was treated by this joke of a sports city so I'm glad he has gone elsewhere, but meh. I totally understand he had to go if we're gonna rebuild though.

I've moved on and am ready for the city to ruin the next superstar we sign now.

 

[Morgs]

No, I'm not happy he's gone.

Although did I want him gone, and realize he needed to be traded? Yes.

 

[Dreakmur]

He absolutely was a problem here. Yes, the team around him sucked, but he made it worse. Babcock and Shanahan were very smart to get him out of here as quickly as possible, regardless of the return.

 

[HEAVY DUTY]

kessel was a good player and i liked him. but we acquired him at the wrong time. he's the type of piece you add when you have a good team with a good core and require a final piece on a stanley cup contending team.

he's not the type of player you have as a core piece or a player you build around which is what the leafs did. teams can build around a winger but not a winger like kessel cause of his character issues. he's nothing more than a complimentary piece.

if he didn't have character issues, shanny and babs would have wanted him here. he was still young and was very productive with garbage players in toronto, and yet he was still dealt. why? babs is a smart coach, and i'm pretty sure if he saw something in kessel, he would have asked shanny to keep him but didn't. this should say everything.

 

[A1LeafNation]

2nd = Spaling + 3rd

Penguins: Kessel + 2nd

Leafs: Kapanen + Spaling + Harrington + 1st + 3rd

Kessel = Kapanen + Harrington + 1st

We did aight.