Phillip Joseph Kessel: 200 foot player?

[wulfio*]

Agree. Not only for not touching the puck in that last game. I dont even know if a immature, goal hungry Kessel would have done that.

Kessel has always been a team guy. That's why Burke traded for him.

 

[SteveV*]

Kessel has always been a team guy. That's why Burke traded for him.

When he came here the MO was that Kessel wasn't a team guy, never substantiated though...

 

[Pierre Gotye]

I thought Kessel looked awful defensively against the Wild.

 

[StringsAttached]

I thought Kessel looked awful defensively against the Wild.

He made a couple of bad decisions with the puck but you're right, his defense was very apparent last game.

 

[wulfio*]

When he came here the MO was that Kessel wasn't a team guy, never substantiated though...

the method of operation is that he wasnt a team guy???

Anyhow, he was a team guy, that's coming from pre draft. Burke knew it from USA stuff. He commented on it. I'm not sure what your sources are, maybe random bloggers?

 

[Tyler Biggs*]

Kessel is truly elite. He's scored 30 or more goals for the past 4-5 years, and had 20 in only 48 last season. Guy almost broke 40 twice, won't be surprised if he get 45+ this season.

 

[Gutless]

Kessel is truly elite. He's scored 30 or more goals for the past 4-5 years, and had 20 in only 48 last season. Guy almost broke 40 twice, won't be surprised if he get 45+ this season.

I agree that he's elite, but I think he'll struggle to hit 45+ goals in a season in his career. His goalscoring is too inconsistent to be that kind of player. Who knows, though? This could be the year he avoids entering into long and drawn out goal scoring droughts.

 

[SteveV*]

I agree that he's elite, but I think he'll struggle to hit 45+ goals in a season in his career. His goalscoring is too inconsistent to be that kind of player. Who knows, though? This could be the year he avoids entering into long and drawn out goal scoring droughts.

If he had a true playmaking center he would for sure IMHO.

 

[indigobuffalo]

This was not to slam Grant,as I don't even know who he is...We've all said things that aren't true or we regret...This thread was only a year ago...It's just that so many agreed with him about Kessel and it was never true.

How was it "never" true? I was true then, Kessel made a lot of progress from about the mid-way point of the season till around the collapse, being a solid back-checker and aggressive forechecker.

His off-season of no-ice training, and muffin-top physique have undoubtedly left him in a less-than-peak physical conditioning state, so he just doesn't have the energy or stamina at this point in the season to play a 200-ft game.

Which IMO is terrible, but that's the reason.

I figure the same thing as last season will be occurring, as the season progresses he will get more and more fit and have more and more energy, until again, the season's duress becomes too much and he collapses.

Kessel is a truly disappointing player.