NHL insider proposes player for player trade involving Phil Kessel.

There has been rampant trade talk surrounding Pittsburgh Penguins star forward Phil Kessel over the course of the past few weeks and what once sounded like somewhat of a far fetched trade rumor now sounds inevitable. 

The reality that Kessel will in fact be traded has been gaining considerable steam in the past few days as several of the National Hockey League's top insiders have come out and made it clear that the rumors surrounding Kessel are much more than just rumor. The Athletic's Rob Rossi sent what can only be described as a warning to fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins that were either fans of Kessel's or heavily invested in him being a part of their team.

"Penguins fans should get square with a Kessel trade," wrote Rossi. "There will be one. A big part of the offseason plan begins with moving Kessel. You don’t have to like it. But you should be ready for it."

Rossi is not alone is his prediction either which probably explains why so many are confident now that Kessel will indeed be traded. TSN insider Bob McKenzie was a guest on Leafs Lunch this week when he also made a very bold prediction regarding Kessel's future.

"He's getting traded, just a matter of where and when," said McKenzie.

Sportsnet's National Hockey League insider Elliotte Friedman has also indicated that he believes the clock has run out for Phil Kessel in Pittsburgh. From Friedman:

I’d heard things went badly last season between him and the organization, and this confirms it. He knows he will be traded because there’s no benefit to staying, but he’s going to make sure it is on his terms if the Penguins want to send him anywhere other than his eight-team list.

So Kessel is getting traded but because of his 8 team no trade list, a list that he could load with teams that he knows will never trade for him like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, etc, it is very difficult to predict where he will end up. Kessel has already blocked one trade so it has to be somewhere he wants to go, and one NHL insider thinks he may have the answer.

The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta asked a very interesting question earlier today when he wondered allowed about the possibility of a trade involving Phil Kessel from the Penguins, and Alex Galchenyuk of the Arizona Coyotes. 

"Interesting to note, the Penguins had serious interest in Galchenyuk before Montreal dealt him to Arizona last summer. Could he be part of a deal if the Coyotes get serious about Kessel," asked Pagnotta on twitter.

Now there's no question that Phil Kessel is the better of the two players and additionally he also comes with 2 additional years of control, however based on Friedman's report it sounds like there is more than just hockey motivating the decision to get Kessel out of Pittsburgh. Additionally it is no secret that Rutherford has been looking for more depth up the middle of his line up and a natural center like Galchenyuk could fill that gap for him. Galchenyuk would of course have to be one piece of a bigger package but given Kessel's rumored desire to reunite with Arizona Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet, this could lay the groundwork for an interesting trade.