Phil Kessel: A Candidate for the Richard Trophy?

AndrewGForbesTHW

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Let's not forget too that scoring was down a massive amount last season - does it happen again this season? Possibly. Means 45 goals could get you top three in the league.
 

useless

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I don't know, but I can see Crosby and Malkin taking a lot of the shots that Kessel would normally take so I am not sure where a massive goal increase would come from

Crosby and Malkin are pass first players, expect Kessel to have the majority of shots as Neal did. His PP production is going to sky rocket this year, I expect him to have a career goal scoring year if everyone stays healthy(which isn't likely).
 

leafsfuture

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As a long-time Kessel observer... I don't see him hitting 45-50 goals. He just doent have the slap shot, and as such his effectiveness on the PP as a shooter is more limited.

That being said, his offence on the whole will go up. I see Kessel as more of a 40-45-85 guy. He will score a lot of goals, but also get a similar number of assists. The way he can penetrate defensive lines means that it opens up opportunities for other players, and the biggest improvement in his game over the last 3-4 years is passing.

Pens fans:
Look for Kessel to get a lot of rushes on the wing. His first goal is to try and get some separation so he can fire a shot top shelf. But if the defence man cuts that option off, his next tendency is to push a little wide, cut back, hold the puck, and find either a cross seam pass to his other winger, or a pass to the defence man.

I think a Letang, Pouliot, Maata type will really benefit from this. Phil opens a lot of looks for defenceman
 

PB12

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It's OV's to lose. One thing Kessel can not do is stop if he has the lead. I remember this happened two times in the last 3 years. One was the lockout year. Stamkos had 23 goals and I believe OV had like 17 or 18. OV started to tear it up and he passed Stamkos when they played the Lightning when both of them had 25. The other was last season. OV had 17 goals. The leader had 24. OV caught up with 9 goals to make it 26. He tied with Nash at the ASG, then passed the leader a few games later and never looked back.
 

Kcoyote3

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It's OV's to lose. One thing Kessel can not do is stop if he has the lead. I remember this happened two times in the last 3 years. One was the lockout year. Stamkos had 23 goals and I believe OV had like 17 or 18. OV started to tear it up and he passed Stamkos when they played the Lightning when both of them had 25. The other was last season. OV had 17 goals. The leader had 24. OV caught up with 9 goals to make it 26. He tied with Nash at the ASG, then passed the leader a few games later and never looked back.

That implies the stopping isn't just natural regression for both the players in the lead and for Ovechkin.

But I see what you're saying. Ovechkin has had a knack for comebacks and then blowing competition out of the water.
 

PB12

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That implies the stopping isn't just natural regression for both the players in the lead and for Ovechkin.

But I see what you're saying. Ovechkin has had a knack for comebacks and then blowing competition out of the water.

This.
 

crowi

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I've considered Kessel a "candidate" for like 7 years....

That doesn't mean he challenges Ovechkin in my mind, though.
 

Semantics

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His wrist shot is probably his most dangerous shot, considering how quick he lets it go but his slappers are solid too. He just doesn't use it as much.



He might have been using a different stick back then. He definitely was on that Bauer pro camp video where he had a 102 mph shot.

Kessel's current wet noodle stick has so much flex that it's probably physically impossible to take a slapper more than 80 mph. He uses possibly the lowest flex in the entire NHL. Teammates have tried out his stick at practices and can't even use it. And he tried to take a one timer a few times on the PP last season and I think fanned on 90% of them. For all intents and purposes he just doesn't have a slapper in his arsenal.

No slapper isn't a bad thing because his snap shot is the best in the league in both velocity and release, but means he's going to score fewer goals than people think due to no one timers. On the PP he likes to rotate off the left half wall into the slot and take quick snap shots against a screen, or threaten shot and pass to the weak side. He'll create a lot of rebound and one-timer opportunities for Crosby and Malkin.

I actually see Crosby + Malkin's goal scoring increasing more than Kessel's as a result of the trade. Though maybe Kessel will whip out a stiff stick now that he's got a better partner?
 
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AndrewGForbesTHW

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Crosby and Malkin are pass first players, expect Kessel to have the majority of shots as Neal did. His PP production is going to sky rocket this year, I expect him to have a career goal scoring year if everyone stays healthy(which isn't likely).

Couldn't have put it better myself.
 

AndrewGForbesTHW

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He might have been using a different stick back then. He definitely was on that Bauer pro camp video where he had a 102 mph shot.

Kessel's current wet noodle stick has so much flex that it's probably physically impossible to take a slapper more than 80 mph. He uses possibly the lowest flex in the entire NHL. Teammates have tried out his stick at practices and can't even use it. And he tried to take a one timer a few times on the PP last season and I think fanned on 90% of them. For all intents and purposes he just doesn't have a slapper in his arsenal.

No slapper isn't a bad thing because his snap shot is the best in the league in both velocity and release, but means he's going to score fewer goals than people think due to no one timers. On the PP he likes to rotate off the left half wall into the slot and take quick snap shots against a screen, or threaten shot and pass to the weak side. He'll create a lot of rebound and one-timer opportunities for Crosby and Malkin.

I actually see Crosby + Malkin's goal scoring increasing more than Kessel's as a result of the trade. Though maybe Kessel will whip out a stiff stick now that he's got a better partner?

I could see him switching twigs - that's why they have training camp to see where sits with his possible linemates.
 

Alexander the Gr8

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If Ovie wins yet another Richard...

If Ovi wins the Richard and scores 50+ goals for the 7th time in his career, he has a good claim to the titles of best goalscorer of all time and best LW of all time.

He's a legend already, his challenge is just to carry his team all the way with a monstrous playoff performance. I'd be more impressed if he won a Conn Smythe.
 

Albus Dumbledore

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Yeah coaches or mgmt along kessel might decide to switch sticks on the pp, similar to what pk subban does
Also i think everyone but one member got it
kessel uses a SNAP SHOT more so then a wrister
His snap shot is the best in the league hands down
But to be fair not many players use pure snap shots anymore
But phil can wrist it amazing as well
 

Pi

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Kessel only scores goals in one way really. No backhand, no presence in front of the net, no one timer.

Having Crosby or Malkin will increase his assists, his goal scoring tops out at around 40. He has the ability to score 50 goals even with Bozak but he never wanted to score goals in any other way outside of rushes.

He wont be in the running for the Rocket.
 

Lomez

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The Penguins bandwagon has not improved its Hockey IQ since drafting Sidney Crosby?

I mean I thought other Hawks fans were dumb, but this level of "Kessel is the second greatest scorer in the league" crap we have been hearing makes me feel better about my own fan base.


Kessel will jump from 25 goals in 2015 to low 30s in 2016, that's it.

Since it appears most Pens fans who have bothered to chime into this thread indicated Ovi remains the favorite for the Richard, your thought about Hawks fans being dumb is certainly supported by your contribution--so I wouldn't feel too much better if I were you.

On topic: 40 goals for Kessel, not enough to win the Richard.
 

nmbr_24

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I think there is a definite possibility that Kessel has a big jump in points but Kessel played with Marc Savard and had 36 goals and the only guy who had more assists in the same time period as Savard was Joe Thornton. Kessel played with one of the top set up guys in the league. Kessel gets his goals whether he has an elite set up man or not. It has been 6 or 7 years since Crosby or Malkin put up assists at the rate Savard put up assists. Maybe Kessel stays the same and Crosby or Malkin sees their totals jump in the assist column. It's just too early to tell.
 

chicoutimicucumber

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It was select fans and media that didn't want him. Every player he played with loved Phil as a character in the dressing room. As for what's changed.... seriously?? Like seriously? How about Bozak to Crosby/Malkin?

I know this is not the point of the thread but um, Aaron Ward?

(Not trying to rip on Kessel tbh; he'll be a treat to watch this coming season with Crosby/Malkin for sure.)
 

AD1066

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Candidate? Sure. IMO he's been in the running every year.

Favorite? Probably not, even with an elite center. Ovechkin seems to be equally durable (somehow) and has a wider arsenal of shots, which I think makes him less prone to cold streaks.
 

Cursed Lemon

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Throwing elite players together often doesn't have the results you think it will.

I think his production will be same-to-slightly-better.
 

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