Report: Connected insider believes star winger will be traded in offseason.

If there is one man with deep connections with nearly every NHl team, it's TSN/NBC insider Darren Dreger. The man simply gets information faster than any other insider in hockey, and has developed some serious friends inside many organizations. This morning on TSN 1050, Dreger was talking about Toronto winger Phil Kessel. The winger has been in a horrid slump as of late, but then again with the atmosphere surrounding Toronto at the moment, how can he be expected to play well. Dreger concedes that the 27-year-old’s “trade potential has been hurt by his poor play; I don’t think there’s any question of that.” However he remains firm on one thing: “In Kessel’s case, I firmly believe he’s going to be traded.” Kessel is signed through 2021-22 for a cap hit of $8 million, a contract that won’t be the easiest to move for a return befitting his abilities as a goal-scorer. The Leafs may have to absorb some of his salary, or take a bad contract back, to get a deal done. Just because Toronto has decided that Kessel is the face of all their failures, does not mean he could not be very valuable to a team with scoring woes. One thing is certain, you can't market a guy like Kessel in Toronto anymore, which means he's gone in the next few months.