Did Phil Kessel say goodbye?

[Joey Hoser]

You mean, he was made a millionaire several times over, laid a complete egg, said FU to the fans, picked a fight with the media and was subsequently banished from the kingdom?

Phil Kessel is one of the worst characters to have ever been associated with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

His flippant, indifferent attitude and rotten apple personality is very apparent in whom the organization moved at first opportunity and by the repeated mantra by the organization to "bring in good people." Why are those fairly obvious characteristics outlined by people like Babcock and Shanahan unless they felt there was an issue prior?

I hope he gets a warm welcome back from the Leafs by getting knocked on his ass, stripped of the puck and summarily scored upon over and over when the Penguins visit.

If we had success and he was a part of it, he'd be a lovable goofball.

But we didn't, so **** his lazy ass.

 

[Stephen]

"Kessel is a soft lazy floater"

I think the haters have brainwashed themselves with this notion and completely erased from their memories all the highlight reel goals he scored and set up for his undeserving linemates. All the times he was busting his ass up and down the wings at a high pace to get shots... was because he's a goal hungry floater.

You guys sound like completely bitter senile Leaf fans who still rock Clark jerseys mullets and denim jeans and only like players who are bad to the bone.

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.

 

[Stephen]

If we had success and he was a part of it, he'd be a lovable goofball.

But we didn't, so **** his lazy ass.

Kessel was an ornery man child who played the game completely wrong. There's not much substance there.

 

[Preisst*]

Uh huh sure. You conveniently ignore the fact that Kessel has had a reputation dating all the way back to his college days. Everywhere he's gone, he's left behind a bad aftertaste despite his elite talent and it's obvious why to anyone who has watched him play for an extended period of time.

His worshippers don't care cuz he can skate fast. Kessel has one of he lowest hockey IQs I have ever seen in a player.

What kind of hockey player lets up in a foot race and let's the other team get the puck. $95Mill Phil does that all the time. He's petrified of contact.

I can't wait till we play against him. Polak will punish him.

He's 26 years old, has played hockey for most of his life and he doesn't even know how to play his position......LOL......

I chalk up his idolatry to N.A.I.F.

 

[Al14]

"Kessel is a soft lazy floater"

I think the haters have brainwashed themselves with this notion and completely erased from their memories all the highlight reel goals he scored and set up for his undeserving linemates. All the times he was busting his ass up and down the wings at a high pace to get shots... was because he's a goal hungry floater.

You guys sound like completely bitter senile Leaf fans who still rock Clark jerseys mullets and denim jeans and only like players who are bad to the bone.

I can only

Kessel was the wrong player, at the wrong time, for our Leafs.

Hopefully, he'll be the right player, at the right time, for the Pens. I think only Kessel can answer this himself! He must change his ways with the Penguins IMHO.

 

[Stephen]

I'm sorry, is Phil Kessel the only player in the NHL to be payed for his services?

Do people have amnesia of the seasons before last year?

We flamed out every year since 2012 and he was held accountable by the press. Sorry he didn't get a pass.

 

[Al14]

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.

Here, here, well said!

 

[Stephen]

I can only

Kessel was the wrong player, at the wrong time, for our Leafs.

Hopefully, he'll be the right player, at the right time, for the Pens. I think only Kessel can answer this himself! He must change his ways with the Penguins IMHO.

I don't see Pittsburgh having a lot of success with Phil. Their seasons will end in tears as usual but now it will happen in cruel and unusual ways and I'm sure Sidney Crosby is going to have an ulcer dealing with Kessel's "quirks".

 

[Al14]

I don't see Pittsburgh having a lot of success with Phil. Their seasons will end in tears as usual but now it will happen in cruel and unusual ways and I'm sure Sidney Crosby is going to have an ulcer dealing with Kessel's "quirks".

Maybe Sid asks to be traded.

 

[Preisst*]

I'm convinced Crosby is lobbying to not get saddled with Kessel.

 

[Menzinger]

Phil managed to score only 2 more goals than Tyler Bozak, and 2 fewer than JVR, and led the team in scoring by 5 points, playing on a line that played the game EXACTLY the way Phil wanted to play, getting the coach fired and narrowly missing out on McDavid.

Funny way of demonstrating your superiority and being misused when you're allowed to do whatever the hell you please and barely being better than your inferior linemates.

Forget Phil, and more importantly, forget his fanboys.

I don't understand what your'e trying to argue here. I'll be the first to admit that Kessel didn't have a great season last year. But do you seriously think the difference between him an Bozak is only 'two goals'?

He was a good winger, brought over to carry an entire team. There isn't a single player in this league who coudl have done any differently than he did.

Just because others hold a different opinion than you of a player doesn't make them a 'fanboy' or 'apologist' or whatever other nonsese is getting spouted off in this thread. You cheapen the discussion by suggesting otherwise.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

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.

I've been watching the Leafs since the late 80's . My first ever sporting event was at MLG when Gretzky and the Kings came to town. I've been through the bad and the good. I'm just not jaded like some of you.

 

[Preisst*]

Kessel gets critiqued the way he does based on how HE plays the game. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Interesting thread on the main board which asks which "good" player would you not want on your team.

Kessel has the most mentions........lol..........

 

[Cor]

Hasn't said a word. Pretty Pathetic. Fans were great to him. He hardly got "ran out of town". We had no use for him. We're rebuilding. Why keep him?

The fact that he completely ignored his fans, and didn't even say a word to any of the kids that were excited to attend his camp, well, kinda sums up why he was the priority to move from the core doesn't it?

He had battles with the media, but I don't think anyone gives a **** about that.

At the end of the day, he clearly gave up down the stretch, and he didn't thank anyone for his time in Toronto.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

Hasn't said a word. Pretty Pathetic. Fans were great to him. He hardly got "ran out of town". We had no use for him. We're rebuilding. Why keep him?

The fact that he completely ignored his fans, and didn't even say a word to any of the kids that were excited to attend his camp, well, kinda sums up why he was the priority to move from the core doesn't it?

He had battles with the media, but I don't think anyone gives a **** about that.

At the end of the day, he clearly gave up down the stretch, and he didn't thank anyone for his time in Toronto.

yeah let's blame Kessel for the team completely stinking under Horachek. Who did an AWFUL job btw. The goalies let in terrible goals on a regular basis and the whole team realized they werent making the playoffs. So why bust your butt and get injured ? I don't blame Kessel a bit. And he owes the fans nothing. The fans who talked **** about him non stop, threw sweaters on the ice, waffles, bags on their head. Inane ramblings non stop on sports radios. It was no picnic playing here and he still said when asked that he was sad to leave Toronto. your whole post is conjecture and a perfect example of scapegoating.

It was all Kessel's fault people.

 

[Mike1]

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.

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.

 

[dballislife2]

no, but we sure did

 

[Rufio65*]

Hasn't said a word. Pretty Pathetic. Fans were great to him. He hardly got "ran out of town". We had no use for him. We're rebuilding. Why keep him?

The fact that he completely ignored his fans, and didn't even say a word to any of the kids that were excited to attend his camp, well, kinda sums up why he was the priority to move from the core doesn't it?

He had battles with the media, but I don't think anyone gives a **** about that.

At the end of the day, he clearly gave up down the stretch, and he didn't thank anyone for his time in Toronto.

Why does he have to thank anyone for his time in Toronto? What does he owe the fans?? Oh right, absolutely nothing.

 

[Stephen]

I don't understand what your'e trying to argue here. I'll be the first to admit that Kessel didn't have a great season last year. But do you seriously think the difference between him an Bozak is only 'two goals'?

He was a good winger, brought over to carry an entire team. There isn't a single player in this league who coudl have done any differently than he did.

Just because others hold a different opinion than you of a player doesn't make them a 'fanboy' or 'apologist' or whatever other nonsese is getting spouted off in this thread. You cheapen the discussion by suggesting otherwise.

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.

 

[Stephen]

Why does he have to thank anyone for his time in Toronto? What does he owe the fans?? Oh right, absolutely nothing.

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.

 

[Stephen]

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.

I can't wait to see someone on the Leafs put Phil on his ass on his return to the ACC.

 

[Preisst*]

yeah let's blame Kessel for the team completely stinking under Horachek. Who did an AWFUL job btw. The goalies let in terrible goals on a regular basis and the whole team realized they werent making the playoffs. So why bust your butt and get injured ? I don't blame Kessel a bit. And he owes the fans nothing. The fans who talked **** about him non stop, threw sweaters on the ice, waffles, bags on their head. Inane ramblings non stop on sports radios. It was no picnic playing here and he still said when asked that he was sad to leave Toronto. your whole post is conjecture and a perfect example of scapegoating.

It was all Kessel's fault people.

Thank you very very very much for making this statement.

It verifies exactly what I suspected about you Kessel Type Hero Worshippers.

The fact you actually think this attitude is acceptable speaks volumes.

Enjoy cheering for your boy on the Penquins. I gotta go dialogue with some Leaf/hockey fans now.

Toodle doo.......LOL.......

 

[Cor]

Hopefully Phaneuf lays a big clean hit on him.

 

[Cor]

yeah let's blame Kessel for the team completely stinking under Horachek. Who did an AWFUL job btw. The goalies let in terrible goals on a regular basis and the whole team realized they werent making the playoffs. So why bust your butt and get injured ? I don't blame Kessel a bit. And he owes the fans nothing. The fans who talked **** about him non stop, threw sweaters on the ice, waffles, bags on their head. Inane ramblings non stop on sports radios. It was no picnic playing here and he still said when asked that he was sad to leave Toronto. your whole post is conjecture and a perfect example of scapegoating.

It was all Kessel's fault people.

If you're fine with players not working hard, then I mean....

 

[Snow Dog]

PK is a great goal scorer but a lousy hockey player.Good bye.