Sportsnet: Kessel and Leafs won't negotiate in-season

[bobbyflex]

Kessel said that HE would not negotiate during the season. He said nothing about his agent.

thanks for the laugh

 

[ACC1224]

I'm sure if Nonis spoke to Kessels agent he would respond. He won't tell him he missed his chance.

IMO, Kessel said this so he wouldn't be asked about it daily once the season starts.

 

[Mess]

Other than being a diehard Leafs fan, I'm a huge Pacers fan and have our star Paul George in a similar boat as Kessel... 1 year remaining on his deal.

I find it pretty interesting the difference in tone between the players/organizations.

"(A long-term contract) is going to get done," George told The Indianapolis Star. "There will be a deal signed and sealed on the table before the season. We're (George and Pacers management) on the same page."

"No," George said when asked if there was any chance he would leave the Pacers. "Honestly, I love it here. I want to be here. It's a great place. There are no distractions. I can stay focused. It's all about basketball here. I can stay focused and do my job."


I know it doesn't mean a thing when it comes to Kessel, but I'm going through the same nervousness between Kessel and George and nothing Phil's really said has calmed my nerves, unlike PG lol

Kessel showed no loyalty to the original team that drafted him and gave him his NHL start, so there is good reason to be nervous for Leaf fans.

When Kessel speaks of "players opportunity of free agency to make choices" and he knows the money will follow as that is the way of the UFA market. He certainly doesn't sound like he is staying guaranteed.

With the odds of him not signing before Oct season start and not willing to negotiate during the season, and then only a few weeks from end of season until free agency this will be a season long distraction in Toronto.

 

[achtungbaby]

I'm sure if Nonis spoke to Kessels agent he would respond. He won't tell him he missed his chance.

IMO, Kessel said this so he wouldn't be asked about it daily once the season starts.

Yeah, the way it's about to go, no one will be asking him about this at all. That was a good plan.

 

[Confucius]

Hasn't Burke offered up the picks yet?

 

[Joey24]

Kessel showed no loyalty to the original team that drafted him and gave him his NHL start, so there is good reason to be nervous for Leaf fans.

When Kessel speaks of "players opportunity of free agency to make choices" and he knows the money will follow as that is the way of the UFA market. He certainly doesn't sound like he is staying guaranteed.

With the odds of him not signing before Oct season start and not willing to negotiate during the season, and then only a few weeks from end of season until free agency this will be a season long distraction in Toronto.

On the same note the Boston situation and the Toronto situation are two totally different things. Boston was hard aginst the cap. Was playing hard ball with Phil and could afford to be hard because of the fact they already had a solid core of players.

Toronto is Phil Kessel's team, He's the face of the franchise/ the golden boy. It's the biggest stage in the hockey world and regardless of everything else he knows he's going to get paid so it's just a matter of if he wants to stay or not.

 

[K19*]

You can't compare the Pacers/George to the Leafs/Kessel. George is a RFA, and if anyone offers him the max Indiana will simply match. Kessel is a UFA and can freely sign wherever he pleases. That's just a terrible comparison.

 

[Leafsman]

Really Off Topic but where is the GDT????

 

[rojac]

If Kessel leaves, Kessel leaves. That's life. The Leafs will take that cap space and look for another top line player. They may end up worse, but really, it's not that big a deal. As I've said many times before, how the Leafs has no real effect on any of our lives.

 

[rojac]

Really Off Topic but where is the GDT????

It's been up for 2.5 hours. It's the one labeled "GDT".

 

[diceman934]

I think even Kessel knows how badly he would get lynch mobbed if he walked as an UFA. Let's just believe him when he says he loves this city, we ARE the best fans in the world

He said the same thing about Boston after his last season there. He was attacked every time he went to Boston and he knew he would be, that did not seem to make a difference to him at all then...why would it now?

Also if people believe that he said that he would not negotiated during the season to keep the media away..... Kessel is not that stupid. He will be asked continuously about the status of his contract all season long.

So twist his words and interject your opinion of what Phil really means all you want, he said twice that HE will not talk contract during the season.

 

[Ace88*]

Kessel showed no loyalty to the original team that drafted him and gave him his NHL start, so there is good reason to be nervous for Leaf fans.

When Kessel speaks of "players opportunity of free agency to make choices" and he knows the money will follow as that is the way of the UFA market. He certainly doesn't sound like he is staying guaranteed.

With the odds of him not signing before Oct season start and not willing to negotiate during the season, and then only a few weeks from end of season until free agency this will be a season long distraction in Toronto.

While i agree that it will be a season long distraction, trying to infer that he will leave toronto because he left boston is incredibly shallow, naive thinking. Kess has built a successful career in a city he likes and is active in and has no real reason to leave.

 

[achtungbaby]

While i agree that it will be a season long distraction, trying to infer that he will leave toronto because he left boston is incredibly shallow, naive thinking. Kess has built a successful career in a city he likes and is active in and has no real reason to leave.

It's naive to believe that despite the fact that he's already left one city that he proclaimed to like and built enough of a career with to garner the offer we gave Boston to get him here, you can't see the possibility of that happening again at all?

 

[CanadasTeam]

Bah.

"Kessel and Leafs won't negotiate in-season" my a**