Phil Kessel: The Mock Trades Roundtable
By Tim Chiasson
Feb 21, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Phil Kessel (81) during their game against the Winnipeg Jets at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs beat the Jets 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
David Chernish
I trade Phil Kessel and Matt Finn to the rumored Carolina Hurricanes for injury riddled Alex Semin and their 5th overall draft.
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It’s the perfect scenery for Kessel because he is given a play-maker in Eric Staal/Jeff Skinner and is in a low profile hockey town with less media. The reasoning we get Semin back is because we won’t have to retain as much – if any – of Kessel’s salary for the remainder of his contract.
The other player who has been rumored is Jeff Skinner – but the Leafs would have to give up one of their top prospects or a draft pick, which I would not pull the trigger on due to Skinner’s injury history.
The best thing about that trade would be the Leafs pick 4th and 5th overall – meaning a combination of Marner/Hanifin , Strome/Provorov or vice versa. That way, Leafs management stocks the cupboard with two top prospect players.
The Hurricanes may ask for a roster player as well, which if he is the right guy, like a Booth type of player, I would deal him too. Only time will tell, but I believe that is one of the better scenarios for trading Phil Kessel. You only trade him if you get a top 10 prospect – whether it’s in this year’s draft or last years.
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