Hints exposed on why Phil Kessel chose Vegas:

Late on Wednesday night, the Vegas Golden Knights announced that they had signed forward Phil Kessel to a one-year contract, worth $1.5 million. The veteran forward was one of the top free agents still available on the market, and several analysts believe he has become one of the best steals of this offseason.

On Thursday, some reporters started to wonder why Kessel finally chose Vegas. Sure, it is a team that was one of his top destination when trade rumours emerged about Kessel in recent years. However, we cannot say Vegas looks like a contender this season, especially with their tight cap and the lack of star power in between the pipes with Robin Lehner out of the year.

But it does not look like Kessel chose the Golden Knights for another shot at the Stanley Cup.

Insiders started pointing out some valid reasons on why Kessel signed in Sin City.

Earlier this week, insider Craig Morgan reported that Kessel attended the Arizona Coyotes’ informal skate and has now revealed that the veteran player will get to be close to good friend Rick Tocchet, who lives there. Tocchet isn’t only a good friend, but a former coach of Kessel who could still use his help in the final years on his career.

Another theory, a funnier one, is that Kessel chose Vegas for its casinos. It has been said more than once that Kessel loves to play casino games. When he played with the Penguins, insider Josh Yohe of The Athletic had reported on Kessel’s playing casino nights in Pittsburgh with Tocchet himself calling Phil an ethical poker player.

Adam Proteau of the Hockey News says it best: “he’s never leaving Vegas.”

Kessel is a forward who has experience winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins (and so the focus might not be on winning again…) In three seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, Kessel put up 42 goals and 91 assists. He is 34 years old, but still has gas in the tank!

While his production dropped considerably after being traded to the Coyotes by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019, he is also focused on keeping his Ironman Streak alive in Sin City. Kessel has played in 982 consecutive games since Nov. 11, 2009 when he was part of the Boston Bruins. Keith Yandle’s record came to an end at 929 games this past season, so Kessel has a shot at the all-time record.

And that’s an achievement everyone should bet on!