I'm not sure why I'm even entertaining this, but I'll say this.
Let's not forget Pavelski is only signed for one more season, versus Kessel who's signed for five more season. Pavelski is most likely set to make more than $7M a season in his next contract, possibly close to what Crosby and Malkin are making.
I think the entire situation between Sullivan and Kessel is being blown out of proportion. Mike Sullivan doesn't seem to be one to just give up on a player. If a trade would happen, I don't think it would be so much that Sullivan doesn't like Kessel, but more or less than he felt like whoever they traded for was a better fit for the team.
I like Phil Kessel, a lot. While he might not spend all five years left on his contract here in Pittsburgh, I'd like for him to stick around for several more. He's a good player, he's a guy that's easy to root for and he has some chemistry with Crosby and Malkin. He's extremely durable and shows up in big games. He's the winger that we've always wanted Crosby and Malkin to have and people want to trade him?
He has some faults, but he's arguably the best winger we've had in the Crosby and Malkin era. What I like about Kessel is how competitive he is, it may sound dumb but he pushes Malkin I feel like at times. The number of times I see him and Malkin arguing on the bench is refreshing to me. I remember all the times Malkin would yell at Neal the same way or Crosby would yell at Hornqvist. I think having someone around who's just as competitive and talented (Almost) as Crosby and Malkin and someone who's willing to give it right back is a great thing to have honestly.