Did Phil Kessel say goodbye?

[Rufio65*]

When the current management talks about having good people in the organization, carrying themselves with dignity and professionalism and demonstrate a happiness to be a Toronto Maple Leaf, I'm pretty sure they are responding to this type of entitled attitude you're defending.

He's the Leafs version of Vince Carter.

Management talks about having "good people" in the organization, yet Shanahan committed the ultimate locker room sin when he was a player. Shanahan is in no position to be judging people's character. This isn't the good citizen league, it's the NHL.. talent wins. Phil Kessel was the only reason that this team was watchable and he owes this fan base nothing at all.

 

[BayStreetBully]

Burke brought Kessel to this team at great expense, and when the whole team (and not just Kessel) didn't show up for the first season, the media preyed on him from the very beginning. It was Kessel's fault Boston kept beating us every game. It was Kessel's fault that we finished almost last and lost Seguin. It was Kessel's fault Seguin went on to win the cup in Boston. It was Kessel's fault the Leafs kept missing the playoffs. It was Kessel's fault Burke was such a blowhard. It was Kessel's fault they couldn't beat Boston in the playoffs, when Kessel was the only player to show up. Kessel didn't even have a chance to be a good guy in this town. The media took any chance of that away from the very start. Is it any wonder he had enough and eventually came to not give a **** about the media.

I'm sure Kessel liked the fans, but the whole experience must've left a soul taste in his mouth. If I was Kessel, never mind saying thanks. I wouldn't even give the media the decency of a "**** you". I'd simply walk away.

 

[mallory67]

He was treated like trash. He deserved alot better. He was chased out after signing an 8 year deal.

He was not "chased out". Sheesh. Unless you think Shanahan reads the papers to determine what he should do next. Yeah, their was some negativity by fans and the press ... but that is not what sunk Phil in TO. It was the awful year the team had and the new managements decision to REBUILD.

Phil is a good player but we are in a REBUILD. Once more: We are in a REBUILD. Better to sell Phil and get some prospects and picks.

 

[Menzinger]

No, people who want to characterize the Leafs as this underskilled wasteland to defend Kessel are complete fanboys who fail to assign the right amount of blame on their favorite players, and that cheapens the discussion.

With Kessel and friends, the Leafs were a team that possessed above average scoring ability and an inability to play a balanced two way game with attention to detail. They lived by speed and the rush, were physically soft, immature and somewhat lazy and unfocused. The traits that described those Leaf teams with Kessel sound a lot like Phil as a player himself. In that sense, the Leafs were built in Kessel's image. The Leafs didn't lose because they didn't have the skill to play with Phil. They didn't have enough hockey players to clean up the mess Phil and friends invariably made playing the game the way they enjoyed.

So you're trying to argue that the Leafs have been a team that has had more than enough skill and talent to be successful over the past few seasons, but Kessel, and Kessel alone is the reason why the team has been infected with losing? It's nonsense.

Everything you've described is a coaching and management issue. Kessel didn't pick the roster, kessel didn't design the coaching systems. He just seems to be a convenient scapegoat, which I think is a fairly lazy argument.

The Leafs have been the worst managed team in the league over the past decade: i'd say blaming their woes on the play of the only legitimate first line player the team has had since Sundin is a little short sighted.

 

[mallory67]

So you're trying to argue that the Leafs have been a team that has had more than enough skill and talent to be successful over the past few seasons, but Kessel, and Kessel alone is the reason why the team has been infected with losing? It's nonsense.

Everything you've described is a coaching and management issue. Kessel didn't pick the roster, kessel didn't design the coaching systems. He just seems to be a convenient scapegoat, which I think is a fairly lazy argument.

The Leafs have been the worst managed team in the league over the past decade: i'd say blaming their woes on the play of the only legitimate first line player the team has had since Sundin is a little short sighted.

Exactly. Phil is an electrifying player ... but they had to sell the farm to get him. And we never built a decent squad around him. Middling finishes each year, bad drafting and bad management.

 

[The Apologist]

Its literally Mats all over again, i swear word for word

 

[Bomber0104]

Seriously, the Kessel defending that goes on is ridiculous. Kessel ran himself out of town with the way he acted. At the end of the day be a professional like your paid(very well) to be.

Tell me about it.

This forum is going to get so much better once all the Kessel / Burke worshiping is behind us and a thing of the past.

 

[Bomber0104]

I hope we have some good years coming up so little teeny boppers like you have a greater frame of reference of good Leaf memories beyond Kessel YouTube clips and losing to the Bruins in the playoffs. Anyone who has watched any decent Leafs team is completely put off by the pathetic displays of 2012-2015.

Absolutey 100% spot on.

Most of our younger and more forgetful fans don't really know or remember what good hockey looks like.

This hopefully will change in the next four or five years and when it does, the Kessel era in Toronto is going to look even uglier than it already is.

 

[Bomber0104]

So you're trying to argue that the Leafs have been a team that has had more than enough skill and talent to be successful over the past few seasons, but Kessel, and Kessel alone is the reason why the team has been infected with losing? It's nonsense.

Everything you've described is a coaching and management issue. Kessel didn't pick the roster, kessel didn't design the coaching systems. He just seems to be a convenient scapegoat, which I think is a fairly lazy argument.

The Leafs have been the worst managed team in the league over the past decade: i'd say blaming their woes on the play of the only legitimate first line player the team has had since Sundin is a little short sighted.

Who do you think Tim Leiweke was referring to when he said this?

Leiweke also made the point that the Leafs will continue to pursue “character†as well as players with good analytics, noting that “there are players we have in our organization today whose numbers are off the chart good and whose character is just terrible. I don’t care how good your numbers are, if you have bad character, you are doomed for failure.

With everything that's unfolded this year, I think it's plainly obvious who he was referring to.

 

[HEAVY DUTY]

why is this even a topic? are all of you really that butt hurt that a player didn't thank us for playing here?

c'mon people, we're better than this.

 

[Menzinger]

Tim Leweke was a corporate talking head - did he even step foot in the Leafs dressing room?

One of his first major moves was to tear down all the historical pictures of former Leafs at the ACC - doesn't quite sound like a guy who understands 'character' if you ask me.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs...ipping_down_old_photos_not_disrespectful.html

 

[BayStreetBully]

Its literally Mats all over again, i swear word for word

You may be right about that!

I may have defended Mats back then the very same way I am defending Kessel now. This is a brutal fan base.

 

[Purity*]

Management talks about having "good people" in the organization, yet Shanahan committed the ultimate locker room sin when he was a player. Shanahan is in no position to be judging people's character. This isn't the good citizen league, it's the NHL.. talent wins. Phil Kessel was the only reason that this team was watchable and he owes this fan base nothing at all.

Touche. 100% agree with this post.

 

[Purity*]

Burke brought Kessel to this team at great expense, and when the whole team (and not just Kessel) didn't show up for the first season, the media preyed on him from the very beginning. It was Kessel's fault Boston kept beating us every game. It was Kessel's fault that we finished almost last and lost Seguin. It was Kessel's fault Seguin went on to win the cup in Boston. It was Kessel's fault the Leafs kept missing the playoffs. It was Kessel's fault Burke was such a blowhard. It was Kessel's fault they couldn't beat Boston in the playoffs, when Kessel was the only player to show up. Kessel didn't even have a chance to be a good guy in this town. The media took any chance of that away from the very start. Is it any wonder he had enough and eventually came to not give a **** about the media.

I'm sure Kessel liked the fans, but the whole experience must've left a soul taste in his mouth. If I was Kessel, never mind saying thanks. I wouldn't even give the media the decency of a "**** you". I'd simply walk away.

Pretty much the extent of the logic in this thread.

I'm pretty sure Kessel was also responsible for 9/11 and the escape of 7 murderers from a Texas prison. He should also be blamed for why King of the Hill went off the air and the manipulation of Judge Lance Ito in the OJ Simpson case.

 

[Auston Matthews]

Management talks about having "good people" in the organization, yet Shanahan committed the ultimate locker room sin when he was a player. Shanahan is in no position to be judging people's character. This isn't the good citizen league, it's the NHL.. talent wins. Phil Kessel was the only reason that this team was watchable and he owes this fan base nothing at all.

What exactly is this sin you speak of?

 

[Jyrki Lumme]

Who gives a ****? He owes us nothing.

 

[BertCorbeau]

A simple, straightforward answered for this simple, straightforward question is: No he didn't

Thread closed.