Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford made quite a splash this off-season when he acquired Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a trade involving six players and draft picks.
Kessel, a five-time 30-goal scorer, joins an already potent group of forwards in Pittsburgh that includes two of the best players in the world in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Kessel is expected to skate with Crosby to begin the season, which is a scenario Malkin believes could lead to a career high in goals for the former Maple Leaf.
“I know [Kessel] as a sniper,” Malkin told NHL.com. “He likes to score goals. He’s flying every game. I think if he plays with Sid, he can score 50 goals at least. He has everything.”
Kessel has scored 37 goals twice in his career, while lining up with Tyler Bozak as his primary centre in Toronto. Bozak is a decent passer in his own right… but he’s no Crosby. The Penguins captain recognizes the potential impact Kessel brings with his ability to score.
“I think everybody is excited to have [Phil] as a teammate, to know with one chance in the slot he can change a game pretty quickly,” Crosby said Tuesday at the NHL’s annual Player Media Tour in Toronto. “Those guys aren’t easy to find. Regardless of who plays with him, he’s going to create a lot of offence.”
The 2014-15 season was a down year for Kessel, who failed to break the 30-goal barrier in an 82-game season for the first time since 2007-08. He finished the campaign with 25 goals and 61 points while playing in all 82 games for a woeful Maple Leafs team.
Kessel routinely finishes among the top-10 players in shots on goal. Shot volumes should run high on the Penguins’ top line in 2015-16.
The Penguins acquired Kessel, forward Tyler Biggs, defenceman Tim Erixon and a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft from the Maple Leafs in exchange for defenceman Scott Harrington, forwards Kasperi Kapanen and Nick Spaling, and first- and third-round picks in 2016. The Maple Leafs will also retain $1.25 million per year of Kessel’s salary for the next seven seasons.
