Sidney Crosby ‘excited’ by Phil Kessel trade

The Hockey Central crew breaks down the Phil Kessel trade to Pittsburgh, with Damien Cox saying it's finally a chance for Kessel to shut up his critics.

Happy Canada Day, Sidney Crosby.

The captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins said Wednesday that he believes blockbuster acquisition Phil Kessel will be a welcome addition to team.

“He’s an elite scorer and has a lot of speed. I see him fitting in well with us,” Crosby told Pittsburgh reporter Josh Yohe.

“We’re excited to have him on our team.”

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford told Tim & Sid that Crosby texted the GM to express his excitement immediately upon learning of the deal.

The rebuilding Toronto Maple Leafs traded one of the league’s greatest offensive stars Wednesday to Pittsburgh in return for centre Nick Spaling, forward Kasperi Kapanen, defenceman Scott Harrington, plus a conditional first-round and a third-round pick in 2016. Toronto will retain $1.2 million of Kessel’s salary in each of the next seven seasons.

The Leafs also send forward Tyler Biggs, defenceman Tim Erixon and a 2016 second-round pick to Pittsburgh in the deal.

Kessel has scored a minimum of 20 goals in each of the last seven seasons.

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