Phil Kessel. Trade Watch On? | He's Literally Frozen

[Purity*]

Kessel's offense would go down if he got 70% offensive zone starts playing against secondary defensive units while still getting top PP time?

My god you people will grasp at anything.

 

[WilliamNylander]

Agree.

So many articles about Kessel but where are the articles about clarkson and nonis? Instead of wasting 6mil on a 4th liner, why not spend that 6mil to bring in another player so kessel doesn't have to carry this team every damn game just to get some wins

 

[JoeyBeans]

MediaMediaMedia

 

[hockeyfanz*]

Kessel's offense would go down if he got 70% offensive zone starts playing against secondary defensive units while still getting top PP time?

My god you people will grasp at anything.

Kessel is hockey's equivalent of a DH...cant really play any position but has good pop in his bat.

 

[Purity*]

Facts are facts people.

Kessel has never played with a #1C or #1D in his entire tenure here. He's made top-liners out of ideal second line wingers in JVR and Lupul (while also inflating the hell out of Bozak's numbers). He drives this team's offense year in and year out while facing the top defensive units game in and game out and still producing extremely good numbers.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Kessel's offense would not go up on the hawks, it would go down as he would have to play defense or find his ass nailed to the bench. Hawks have depth, there are plenty of talented guys who can and will play 2 way hockey to give those choice minutes too if Phill can't or won't play 2 way hockey. Offensively Hossa is better than Phil. He has scored 40 goals before. He won't do it again as the Hawks system is defense first and back to my first point in that system wins go up but offensive numbers go down.

I am not underestimating what Toews brings. Best center in the league in my opinion- yes better than that 87 guy. Toews brings 2 way hockey. he is not a top point producer but he is a win producer. Who is the point a game center that Durr talks about- can't be Toews as he only ever hit a point a game once 48 in 47 games in lockout shortened season.

Generally truely great teams do not have the top point getters. All those hab dynasties rarely had the top offensive guys in the league. same with recent cup winners (Hawks, kings, bruins etc) Only exception seems to be the generational talents like Gretzky, Lemieux and last time I checked the Thrill was not in their league.

What happenned to yzermans offensive numbers when Bowman asked him to play 2 way hockey? Way down but is jewlery collection was augmented. If the Hawks were to make the blunder of the century and trade their PK for Toronto's, either kessels point production goes down or he gets dropped off the first line.

LOL. Somebody failed history class.

 

[BraveCanadian]

He may not be *the* problem but he is definitely *one* of the problems.

 

[HEAVY DUTY]

meh. if we can get a good return on kessel, i say good riddance.

 

[diceman934]

He may not be *the* problem but he is definitely *one* of the problems.

No make no mistake ......he is the head of the snake!

All the information coming out of Leaf land is not at all flattering!

 

[Man Bear Pig]

He's not the main problem but he's certainly a symbol for us. All offense, little effort defensively, plainly put. When that guy is your best player, it's going to be tough to make it far. I'm not saying anything earth shattering here as we all know. The problem is management and the mismanagement of assets.

 

[Teeder9]

He's not the solution either, and that's all that really matters

 

[Paladin2799]

I look at kessel like I do any other top end skill winger without drive.

Jagr, Kovalev, Kessel. They are all in same mould.

They need to have a team built around them that is still a NHL team, and you take the offence when you get it in crunch situations.

Merely having that elite shot to put on during the important minutes is INVALUABLE.

The problem isnt with kessel, its that the rest of the team sucks around him.

He has a terrible center statistically to work with in bozak, his LF's are either always injured or struggling, and the rest of the team couldnt stop a beach ball.

Keep Kessel, fix the rest of the team.

 

[forecheck]

# 1 Problem - Poor Management - That is where it all starts..

 

[silentbob37*]

Its weird statement

He isn't a problem in that he is a bad player, but there is a problem in that he isn't good enough to be the best player on a contending team......

 

[CDN24]

Kessel's offense would go down if he got 70% offensive zone starts playing against secondary defensive units while still getting top PP time?

My god you people will grasp at anything.

Kessel's offensive production would go down on a good team if he started playing 2 way hockey and stopped cherrypicking. Given that its Phil that is a big if.

Look at Hossa 1.12PPG in atlanta
0.96 in det and now
0.85 in Chicago.

He went to better teams and his production dropped. One reason is there are other talentplayers to share the top offensive minutes as well. In atlanta he like Phil in toronto got all the choice first PP time etc.

 

[egd27]

No make no mistake ......he is the head of the snake!

All the information coming out of Leaf land is not at all flattering!

Thought the guy in the redbull cap was the root of the problem?

 

[Bullseye]

Wow this article doesn't have meat in it other than to say Kessel is great Bozak sucks. Read it once never again. Junk read.

 

[BraveCanadian]

No make no mistake ......he is the head of the snake!

All the information coming out of Leaf land is not at all flattering!

I agree but he isn't the only problem.

They need to blow it up.

Too many players in key positions on this team that have never accomplished anything and are complacent with what they are doing.

They need a real leadership group who knows what it will take or at least someone who will continually raise the bar and push people.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Bozak is not going to take Kadri's second line duties and he is payed to much for third line duties. He is haunting us right now. I wouldn't think Bozak has much value out there.

Thanks Nonis. He signed him and should be held responsible for it. This teams mix is terrible.

 

[silentbob37*]

the statement "Kessel is not the problem" makes it seem like there is just 1 problem with this team.

 

[Trapper]

The core is awful, but yes I think we are a wildcard playoff team if coached correctly. The deciding factor for me is ultimately Bernier, if he were to never get injured last season we probably make the playoffs.

So if you think this is a team (core) that can make the playoffs and we don't, who's fault is it?
Nonis? Shanny? Carlyle? Horachek?
Or the players? And if it's the players fault, who is at fault? All 23 players? All 23 players equally?
Is Smith/Booth/Panik,Robidas equal in fault as Bozak/Kessel/Lupul/Phaneuf?

 

[BraveCanadian]

I look at kessel like I do any other top end skill winger without drive.

Jagr, Kovalev, Kessel. They are all in same mould.

One of these is drastically different than the others.

 

[Guy Boucher]

Kessel's offensive production would go down on a good team if he started playing 2 way hockey and stopped cherrypicking. Given that its Phil that is a big if.

Look at Hossa 1.12PPG in atlanta
0.96 in det and now
0.85 in Chicago.

He went to better teams and his production dropped. One reason is there are other talentplayers to share the top offensive minutes as well. In atlanta he like Phil in toronto got all the choice first PP time etc.

I remember Hossa getting ripped all the time when he was with Atlanta for being a selfish player.

Weird how being surrounded by better talent suddenly made Hossa a better teammate with more character.

That, or people are just stupid.

 

[Duke Silver]

So if you think this is a team (core) that can make the playoffs and we don't, who's fault is it?
Nonis? Shanny? Carlyle? Horachek?
Or the players? And if it's the players fault, who is at fault? All 23 players? All 23 players equally?
Is Smith/Booth/Panik,Robidas equal in fault as Bozak/Kessel/Lupul/Phaneuf?

That answer is complicated and involves a lot of thinking.

But the answer definitely isn't JUST Kessel's fault or JUST Phaneuf's fault, which is some peoples' default answer.

The worst place in the world is the Go Train after a Leafs blowout. I've never heard a greater assortment of ignorant and half-brained statements.

Personally, I'm inclined to cut the point-per-game player a little slack. If he was this bad defensively as a 55-point player I'd probably be inclined to judge him more harshly. But even then he wouldn't reap the totality of my criticism because hockey is a team game. Players can win or lose a game by themselves from time to time, they can't single-handedly save or torpedo a season.

 

[Legion34]

Kessel's offensive production would go down on a good team if he started playing 2 way hockey and stopped cherrypicking. Given that its Phil that is a big if.

Look at Hossa 1.12PPG in atlanta
0.96 in det and now
0.85 in Chicago.



He went to better teams and his production dropped. One reason is there are other talentplayers to share the top offensive minutes as well. In atlanta he like Phil in toronto got all the choice first PP time etc.

He is also getting older. That might have something to do with it

Hossa is 36. He has been 31 to 36 for his time in Chicago

Hossa now is 2 yrs older than phil will be when his contract expires