Confirmed with Link: TRADE: Phil Kessel, Dane Birks, + 2021 4th (PIT) for Alex Galchenyuk and PO Joseph(AZ)

[Jamieh]

I think having Nash and Biz will help Kessel open up a little with the media... but think Walsh will cause him to clam up

I think Sarah M would have been positive for Kessel .... not sure about Morgan.

Speaking of media... any idea what happened to Dave Vest?

If they are smart they let Kessel do whatever he wants in the public eye.

 

[varano]

Let's see who's correct at the end of the season.

lol Ive read some of your posts now and theyre borderline cringe worthy.

Heres whats really going to happen. Kessel is going to get 30 goals, and between 60-70 points. Kellers numbers are going to be at 60-65 points consistently because of Phil as well. Kessel consistently put up 30 goals a season with Bozak as his center. He did the same with Bonino as his center and crushed it in the playoffs...

Phil Kessel is an elite goal scorer. He's exactly what Arizona needed. He's not going to give you leadership. He's not going to talk to the media. He's going to play hockey, score on even strength, score on the power play, and never get hurt.

 

[Jamieh]

Interesting thoughts in Athletic article about Kessel, Malkin, and Sullivan. Multiple team sources that Malkin asked for trade unless Kessel was moved.

 

[rt]

Malkin is a shit heel. He’s always been a shit heel. The hit pieces on Kessel were flying out left and right before the trade. His corruption of the poor sweet innocent angel Jake Guentzel at the poker tables of the tribal gaming facility. Oh the horror!!! Textbook Soviet Era propaganda.

 

[Iapyi]

lol Ive read some of your posts now and theyre borderline cringe worthy.

Heres whats really going to happen. Kessel is going to get 30 goals, and between 60-70 points. Kellers numbers are going to be at 60-65 points consistently because of Phil as well. Kessel consistently put up 30 goals a season with Bozak as his center. He did the same with Bonino as his center and crushed it in the playoffs...

Phil Kessel is an elite goal scorer. He's exactly what Arizona needed. He's not going to give you leadership. He's not going to talk to the media. He's going to play hockey, score on even strength, score on the power play, and never get hurt.

First of all I do not care in the least what you think of me or my posts.

Secondly the fact that you actually pretend that you know "what's really going to happen" is hilarious. You clearly think very highly of yourself [which I don't care about] and are very very confrontational. You won't incite me, I'm hear to talk about hockey not to engage in puerile urinating matches. Good luck going forward.

Third. Anything that Keller does will be because of himself. To suggest he is going to do anything because of someone else is laughable, especially at a consistent level. Naive at best.

 

[Iapyi]

Interesting thoughts in Athletic article about Kessel, Malkin, and Sullivan. Multiple team sources that Malkin asked for trade unless Kessel was moved.

Perimeter players who want the glory while their teammates do the hard work often run into these type of situations.

 

[rt]

First of all I do not care in the least what you think of me or my posts.

Secondly the fact that you actually pretend that you know "what's really going to happen" is hilarious. You clearly think very highly of yourself [which I don't care about] and are very very confrontational. You won't incite me, I'm hear to talk about hockey not to engage in puerile urinating matches. Good luck going forward.

Third. Anything that Keller does will be because of himself. To suggest he is going to do anything because of someone else is laughable, especially at a consistent level. Naive at best.

How can you hate Kessel and not Keller? They have very similar strengths and weaknesses to their games. Keller is a perimeter player and doesn’t backcheck.

 

[TheLegend]

Interesting thoughts in Athletic article about Kessel, Malkin, and Sullivan. Multiple team sources that Malkin asked for trade unless Kessel was moved.

If you read in a little farther it seems both he and Kessel started getting complacent and more interested in themselves than playing together. They both ended up going down the rabbit hole.

 

[Iapyi]

How can you hate Kessel and not Keller? They have very similar strengths and weaknesses to their games. Keller is a perimeter player and doesn’t backcheck.

??????

How in the world you came to this conclusion is mind boggling.

I have never said I hate kissiel.

All I said about Keller is that whatever he does is on him and not anyone else.

The assumptions that some posters rush to are preposterous. I do understand though that objective posters like me really really confuse some, especially those who expect or want confrontation.

 

[Jamieh]

If you read in a little farther it seems both he and Kessel started getting complacent and more interested in themselves than playing together. They both ended up going down the rabbit hole.

Yeah I read it all. But the he goes or I go is rather extreme. Also notice Crosby spoke up about Malkin. Malkin and language discomfort 13 years later is wild as well.

 

[TheLegend]

Yeah I read it all. But the he goes or I go is rather extreme. Also notice Crosby spoke up about Malkin. Malkin and language discomfort 13 years later is wild as well.

Saw that.... I agree that's a bit odd. Malkin is having a hard time trying to balance things out. I think Kessel wasn't as major an issue as it's being played. But it also wasn't helping. You win a bunch of Cups and suddenly things get to a level where it doesn't take much for it all to fall apart.

 

[Jamieh]

Saw that.... I agree that's a bit odd. Malkin is having a hard time trying to balance things out. I think Kessel wasn't as major an issue as it's being played. But it also wasn't helping. You win a bunch of Cups and suddenly things get to a level where it doesn't take much for it all to fall apart.

The article sure made it a big issue. Coach and Kessel were an issue, Malkin and Kessel was an issue. I'm not saying Phil is a bad person or teammate but when your coach and superstar give you the Me or Him assertion, well you kinda have to get rid of him. Personally I like him but he does kinda come with a shelf life, generally a really good shelf life. Hopefully here everyone is smart enough to leave him in the background and just let him be himself. It looks like they will so far.

 

[TheLegend]

The article sure made it a big issue. Coach and Kessel were an issue, Malkin and Kessel was an issue. I'm not saying Phil is a bad person or teammate but when your coach and superstar give you the Me or Him assertion, well you kinda have to get rid of him. Personally I like him but he does kinda come with a shelf life, generally a really good shelf life. Hopefully here everyone is smart enough to leave him in the background and just let him be himself. It looks like they will so far.

I agree some changes had to happen. What's left is the narrtive. Penguins have to come out of it looking they got rid of "the bad guy" when there were really no bad guys. Just guys who couldn't get along any more.

 

[Jamieh]

I agree some changes had to happen. What's left is the narrtive. Penguins have to come out of it looking they got rid of "the bad guy" when there were really no bad guys. Just guys who couldn't get along any more.

Ah gotcha now. Yeah people not getting along isn't new and choices are made based on it sometimes. That doesn't make anyone a bad person.

 

[varano]

First of all I do not care in the least what you think of me or my posts.

Secondly the fact that you actually pretend that you know "what's really going to happen" is hilarious. You clearly think very highly of yourself [which I don't care about] and are very very confrontational. You won't incite me, I'm hear to talk about hockey not to engage in puerile urinating matches. Good luck going forward.

Third. Anything that Keller does will be because of himself. To suggest he is going to do anything because of someone else is laughable, especially at a consistent level. Naive at best.

You lost whatever speck of credibility you had when you tried to say that one good hockey player playing with another good hockey player will not increase production

 

[varano]

Saw that.... I agree that's a bit odd. Malkin is having a hard time trying to balance things out. I think Kessel wasn't as major an issue as it's being played. But it also wasn't helping. You win a bunch of Cups and suddenly things get to a level where it doesn't take much for it all to fall apart.

I think Malkin was a mess mentally and physically... and Phil was an easy scapegoat

 

[TheLegend]

I think Malkin was a mess mentally and physically... and Phil was an easy scapegoat

It gets down to they had to choose sides. Malkin was the lifetime Penguin and Kessel wasn’t. The scapegoat thing is manufactured to make the Penguins look like they had a handle on thing when they didn’t.

I will agree that Mallon was a mess. But he’s already working his way back out of it.

 

[Jamieh]

I think Malkin was a mess mentally and physically... and Phil was an easy scapegoat

Most of Malkin's complaints were about being between Kessel and Sullivan fighting.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

I think having Nash and Biz will help Kessel open up a little with the media... but think Walsh will cause him to clam up

I think Sarah M would have been positive for Kessel .... not sure about Morgan.

Speaking of media... any idea what happened to Dave Vest?

A frustrated Kessel punches Walsh between eyes early in the season and creates a hematoma that last entire season. Vanity forces Walsh to take leave for season - a win win.

 

[Iapyi]

You lost whatever speck of credibility you had when you tried to say that one good hockey player playing with another good hockey player will not increase production

Good. Put me on ignore.

Every person is responsible for themselves.

For the record I NEVER said what you are saying I said.

You said Keller will get 60ish points because of kissiel. You are saying he has no input in his own production. You are naive at best as far as I'm concerned and like to focus on confrontation. Bless you.

 

[Foggy1097]

It kind of seems like Malkin rreeeeally cares what everyone thinks about him, and his identity is entirely wrapped up in being a hockey player. Probably a normal thing for most athletes. The cool thing about Kessel is that he doesn’t seem to give a crap what people think of him, yet is still mostly beloved by teammates...and he definitely has interests and a life outside of hockey.

 

[rt]

Good. Put me on ignore.

Great idea!

 

[Iapyi]

It kind of seems like Malkin rreeeeally cares what everyone thinks about him, and his identity is entirely wrapped up in being a hockey player. Probably a normal thing for most athletes. The cool thing about Kessel is that he doesn’t seem to give a crap what people think of him, yet is still mostly beloved by teammates...and he definitely has interests and a life outside of hockey.

Seems that the issue other players have with kissiel is that they don't really want to play with him based on his style of play.

 

[Foggy1097]

Seems that the issue other players have with kissiel is that they don't really want to play with him based on his style of play.

Seems pretty subjective to me. I’ve heard way more teammates say they love playing with him than ones that don’t. I know if it were me I would have a tough time stomaching being around Gene every day. He thinks he is above reproach and it has been well documented over the years that he would go entire seasons without even knowing teammates names...calling them by their number. Not saying he’s a horrible person or anything necessarily...but a person I would have a hard time meshing with in the locker room.

 

[TheLegend]

Keller’s point total will be better this year if the Coyotes remain healthy. That includes having teammates like Phil Kessel, Nick Schmaltz and others to work with. It won’t be any single player that will be a deciding factor but they will play an important part.