Phil Kessel lands back on the trade block!

This time, the Pens could actually pull the trigger.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 4 years ago
Phil Kessel lands back on the trade block!
Zuma Press

Since Phil Kessel joined the Pittsburgh Penguins in the summer of 2015, not a year goes by without someone suggesting he could be traded… It seems like the chatter is back on and this time, it is team insider Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that hints at a potential move including Kessel. 

In his latest mailbag segment, Vensel was asked which Penguins forwards out of Kessel, Patric Hornqvist or Nick Bjugstad might be moved in the offseason. 

In his answer, Vensel clearly states that he does not expect the Penguins to move Hornqvist or Bjugstad but doesn’t rule out the possibility of a Kessel trade. 

Kessel is capable of the best and the worst on the team. While he has nearly averaged a point-per-game this season, the 31-year-old winger recently scored his first even-strength goal since Jan. 30. The media lined up to talk to him about that very goal to which Kessel replied: 

“Jesus Christ. I got one goal.”


Vensel points out that Kessel isn’t consistent: he’s not scoring goals in bunches, he’s not a favorite of head coach Mike Sullivan, and it’s getting harder to handle his on-ice quirks.

It could be beneficial for the Penguins to eventually (and finally after all this talk) trade Kessel, however the playoffs will surely help management to make this choice. The veteran forward has three years left on his current deal, with an annual cap hit of $8 million. 

Vensel believes that if Kessel could be traded in return for a package of cheaper and/or younger veterans, draft picks and prospects, he feels that might be appealing for the Penguins, who could look more seriously into it this summer. There are a lot more questions now that the Penguins have battled harder than most years to clinch a playoff berth… 

However, we don’t expect it to be an easy trade to pull off.  While his cap hit in Pittsburgh is actually $6.8 million annually for the Penguins, as $1.2 million is retained by the Toronto Maple Leafs, he still has an eight-team no-trade list in his contract. 

A contender could overlook his reputation as a difficult player and consider acquiring Kessel to fill in the role of an experienced scoring winger. 

But don’t hold your breath: we all know we have heard of Kessel trade rumours for quite some time, and he is still in Pittsburgh… For now.