Is Phil Kessel's whole career underrated?

[Tavares to Marner]

Great winger yet under valued

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[Quiet Jack]

Go on......

 

[DearDiary]

This thread is hot dog approved.

 

[BladeRunner66]

As a 1rst liner leader? Probably not. Otherwise, yes.

Remember, the guy used to be a media shit magnet too.

 

[Menzinger]

Kessel unfortunately had the bad luck of playing for a terrible team for a lot of his prime years (like a guy like Nash), that really tarnished a lot of folks view of him.

If he had been traded to the Pens at say 23-26 years of age he could have had a monster of a season.

 

[Felidae]

I'd say nowadays he is rated fairly. Had three top ten point finishes ( 6th, 6th, 7th) was the third highest scoring winger in 2011-12, fourth highest scoring winger in 2012-13 and the second highest scoring winger in 2013-14. However, never accumulated a single hart vote. Considering he outscored his teammates by a decent amount, I would have atleast thought he'd have 10th-20th place hart votes. I think it's fair to say back then he was underrated.

 

[TheGoldenGod]

No

 

[Jyrki Lumme]

Nah. I think he's rated fairly. He's got to be the best example of a secondary player. You're never going to win if he's your best forward, but if he's your second (or third in Pittsburgh's case), then he's in his ideal role.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Nope

 

[TheMule93]

not at all

 

[Philadelphia Ducks]

only when he was in Toronto, as every player in Toronto is underrated.

 

[willmma]

Kessel is an excellent winger and goals scorer.
His salary cap hit was too high for the leafs and his best-player on the team did not work either.

One of the main reasons he is working at Pitts is because Toronto is eating $1.2m of his salary cap.
And he has a support goal scoring role instead of team leader.

 

[Mats13]

He was underrated in his time in Toronto. He gets recognition now (shocking, I know )

He played with no talent his years in Toronto and put up top 5-10 numbers yet people argued players like Pacioretty and Loui Erickson were better than him.

 

[Iapyi]

the style of game keissle plays draws the casual fan. they can have him.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Yeah, at least some

 

[Griffin6612]

the style of game keissle plays draws the casual fan. they can have him.

Yeah take him and those cups and get away from us hardcore fans.

 

[Iapyi]

Yeah take him and those cups and get away from us hardcore fans.

keeisis would NEVER win a cup without crosby, can you say the same inverse order? didn't think so.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

yes he's fantastic and people still don't give him the respect he deserves. only took 2 replies to get a hot dog reference

 

[KPower]

The force is strong with Phil.

 

[Nick Hansen]

It's underrated in that he doesn't really need an all that good center beside him. Kessel creates his own offense. Remember the Bozak years and later on the Bonino years. Yeah, he needs someone who can pick up the trash behind him but not much else.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Nah. I think he's rated fairly. He's got to be the best example of a secondary player. You're never going to win if he's your best forward, but if he's your second (or third in Pittsburgh's case), then he's in his ideal role.

I feel like this is a disingenuous argument.

What elite winger has ever won the cup without at least a legit first line pivot?

I honestly can't think of any in the last 25 years.

 

[Menzinger]

keeisis would NEVER win a cup without crosby, can you say the same inverse order? didn't think so.

Though since the Kessel trade they’ve now won two cups in a row. Seems like he’s cleay a key piece to success there.

 

[Legion34]

I feel like this is a disingenuous argument.

What elite winger has ever won the cup without at least a legit first line pivot?

I honestly can't think of any in the last 25 years.

Agreed it is so dumb.
Hockey is a team game. The best forwards play 25-30% of the game. No player can win alone. You can’t be expected to carry a team when 75% of the game has nothing to do with you.

Gretzky couldn’t win without messier and Jari. Lemieux never won without jagr. Crosby never won without Malkin

 

[Iapyi]

Though since the Kessel trade they’ve now won two cups in a row. Seems like he’s cleay a key piece to success there.

he's a hanger on. neither crosby nor malkin want or like playing with him. his style of play has an extremely narrow sphere. good for him to win and i'm sure he's a nice guy. most teams have no use for him.

 

[TheAngryHank]

Sounded like he was shit on in Toronto,but has gotten a good following in the Burgh.