Kessel Vetoed trade to Wild

[Jacob]

I don’t think fans will mind because he’s popular amongst casual yinzers. They don’t notice the bad stuff Kessel does and have no concept of the salary cap or anything like that.

I don’t blame Kessel for vetoing either because it’s his right to do so and it’s also kind of Fenton’s job to try and sell Kessel on Minnesota if he really wants him and he must not have tried.

 

[Gurglesons]

I don’t think fans will mind because he’s popular amongst casual yinzers. They don’t notice the bad stuff Kessel does and have no concept of the salary cap or anything like that.

I don’t blame Kessel for vetoing either because it’s his right to do so and it’s also kind of Fenton’s job to try and sell Kessel on Minnesota if he really wants him and he must not have tried.

I mean, Kessel is insanely frustrating, but still a good player if he gives a shit.

 

[ColePens]

Kessel signed the contract and he earns the right to choose where he wants to go. JR traded for that contract knowing that was the situation.

IMO - JR gets what he traded for and Kessel has every right to make life best for he and his family.

 

[Turin]

I wouldn’t want to leave either. I think the coach relationship stuff is overblown. How many of us would uproot our successful lives entirely just because we didn’t like our boss? I’m not even sure Kessel hates Sully, even if Sully can’t stand him at this point, just because Phil probably hasn’t gotten along with a single head coach ever.

 

[pokey10]

I wouldn’t want to leave either. I think the coach relationship stuff is overblown. How many of us would uproot our successful lives entirely just because we didn’t like our boss? I’m not even sure Kessel hates Sully, even if Sully can’t stand him at this point, just because Phil probably hasn’t gotten along with a single head coach ever.

Well put. The media blows this shit way over the top. I dont buy into the "Rick T was the Kessel whisper'er." Phil's an emotional player and pretty much wears his emotions on his sleeve.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

We are lucky he vetoed it
Another typical trade that JR needs to get fleeced to get rid of a bad player he signed in the first place!!

 

[66-30-33]

We are lucky he vetoed it
Another typical trade that JR needs to get fleeced to get rid of a bad player he signed in the first place!!

Good, now we can trade him to Zona for Fischer, Crouse, Hinostroza.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

This means there’s still time to get a Phil jersey!

 

[Harvey Birdman]

I can’t remember which which podcast I was listening too but it’s easy for Kessel to turn that partial NTC into a near full NTC. The teams he is “willing” to be traded to he just lists them at rivals or teams he knows won’t take him. It’s 8 teams I believe so he makes that list Philly, Washington, Rangers, Islanders, New Jersey, Toronto, and Boston. There are 7 teams that won’t trade for him or we wouldn’t trade him too. Then he makes the 8th team the only spot he goes too. Or maybe he lists 6 of those teams and two he’d go to like Arizona and Vegas. And he is almost 100% locked. He is most likely a Pen all next year.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Keeping Kessel is totally okay in my book. It's Sully's job to get the most from this roster, and if he can't handle that, get another coach.

"Oh boo hoo, Kessel doesn't look like he's trying hard." Neither does Sully.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Can we all drop this nonsense that Kessel had a bad year. Points at the beginning of the season are worth the same as ones near the end. The guy fetched 82 points, while taking 2 months off. Want to know why **** went south? Because outside Dumo and Tanger our transition game is awful. Also having a carousel of line combo's outside our top line didnt help.

The revisionist history to say that Kessel wasn't horrible last year because he puts up points is staggering. He was crap last year.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Garrett Wilson is crap. Let's be a little more creative when describing our third-best offensive talent.

 

[Peat]

I think selling someone on Minnesota being competitive or Kessel on playing third line/as hard as Guentzel if in the top 6 goes beyond what's expected from even high end professional competence. The first requires a genuine idiot on the other end; every sign points to the second needing a personality wipe.

And if the second is true, then handing that to the next head coach is a hospital pass.

edit: This isn't to completely exonerate Sully. He's clearly making some mistakes. But not every mindset can be changed and the problems that go with Kessel's seeming mindset aren't going to go with Sully.

 

[SUBdrewgANS]

He probably vetoed it because JMFJ was part of the deal.

If he's going somewhere, he wants to be free of JJ

 

[Empoleon8771]

Garrett Wilson is crap. Let's be a little more creative when describing our third-best offensive talent.

Fine, is "an abomination outside of his point production" more creative for you?

 

[froods]

The revisionist history to say that Kessel wasn't horrible last year because he puts up points is staggering. He was crap last year.

The majority of HF see’s the world in points, skill, and prospects. That’s why there is constant arguing here. You and I both know there is much more to it. Now, I don’t disagree that NHL coaches tend to over value veteran leadership and “playing the right way”, but HF undervalues it to an even larger degree.

It’s the same reason that people are blaming a mid pairing defenseman for all of our issues. Is he good? Not really. Should they move him? If they can. Is he the biggest issue? Not even close. The lack of commitment to play the right way from point per game players is our biggest concern.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Fine, is "an abomination outside of his point production" more creative for you?

Yes, that works. Because at the end of the day point production matters. It matters a lot.

The majority of HF see’s the world in points, skill, and prospects. That’s why there is constant arguing here. You and I both know there is much more to it. Now, I don’t disagree that NHL coaches tend to over value veteran leadership and “playing the right way”, but HF undervalues it to an even larger degree.

It’s the same reason that people are blaming a mid pairing defenseman for all of our issues. Is he good? Not really. Should they move him? If they can. Is he the biggest issue? Not even close. The lack of commitment to play the right way from point per game players is our biggest concern.

I agree with you on Jack Johnson. Wholeheartedly and word for word. It would be nice to get rid of his cap hit but he is not the main problem.

If the point-per-game players in question are no longer committed, is it not the job of the head coach to rediscover said commitment? Why were they committed when we were winning back-to-back Cups?

Somebody needs to drive the bus on offense. If two of those players are unhappy, the man behind the bench needs to look in the mirror. Plus weren't there also whispers about Sullivan being unhappy with Letang, too?

This isn't a Jack Johnson problem. It isn't a Phil Kessel problem, an Evgeni Malkin problem or a Kris Letang problem. It's a Mike Sullivan problem.

 

[Shady Machine]

The majority of HF see’s the world in points, skill, and prospects. That’s why there is constant arguing here. You and I both know there is much more to it. Now, I don’t disagree that NHL coaches tend to over value veteran leadership and “playing the right way”, but HF undervalues it to an even larger degree.

It’s the same reason that people are blaming a mid pairing defenseman for all of our issues. Is he good? Not really. Should they move him? If they can. Is he the biggest issue? Not even close. The lack of commitment to play the right way from point per game players is our biggest concern.

"mid pairing" and Jack Johnson does not compute.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

"mid pairing" and Jack Johnson does not compute.

Didn't say in what league.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I’m 99% sure Kessel won’t be back, but if he is, my concern is the same as it was in April...

If he doesn’t mesh with Malkin, he’s moved to the third line because Crosby won’t play with him or Hornqvist.

Literally have two top six RW making close to 12m that are either with Malkin or third liners.

It’s silly as hell and an extremely dysfunctional way to run a roster...

 

[The Old Master]

This means there’s still time to get a Phil jersey!

as long as you use a lot of Velcro.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I’m 99% sure Kessel won’t be back, but if he is, my concern is the same as it was in April...

If he doesn’t mesh with Malkin, he’s moved to the third line because Crosby won’t play with him or Hornqvist.

Literally have two top six RW making close to 12m that are either with Malkin or third liners.

It’s silly as hell and an extremely dysfunctional way to run a roster...

I totally agree with this. Hornqvist on the third makes no sense, nor does Kessel with Malkin. Even if you were to keep Kessel on as a PP specialist (which at his elite production is okay by me), you should still find a 3rd line that works, WITH Kessel on it (since Sullivan isn't going to play him anywhere else). So, either get rid of Kessel or get rid of Hornqvist, but don't have both of them on the roster, on a line that they don't work well on, and at large cap hits.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Or tell Sid to suck it up and play with Hornqvist, or tell GMJR what exactly you need on the roster.

 

[K Fleur]

Isn’t Crosby/Kessel’s GF% together really good? I get not wanting to play with a guy who’s “lazy” but if the line works..

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I thought we knew he vetoed it immediately after it went public like a month ago?

Either way, still hope he's gone. He's a guy who excels when he's carrying his own line, which would be the third line, but he seemingly refuses to play there. He and Geno make each other worse when paired up, and he's the antithesis of what Sid and Jake need on their line.

Sprinkle in some tantrums on the bench, floating around the ice, the impending age issue (when the skating goes, Phil's gonna be flat out terrible), etc., and you've got a guy that just doesn't make sense for this team anymore; now as well as moving forward.

Sully's not the problem. Phil does whatever Phil wants, and nobody's changing that. Phil has his name on the Cup twice so he doesn't give a damn enough to do all the extra stuff you need to win anymore.