Feb 26, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel (81) carries the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Robb Ellis
That’s really a tough one to answer. It always is when you’re trading away a current star to build for the future. If you read my latest article that went up on Tuesday then you will know how I feel about Phil Kessel these days.
I believe that it was imperative that he does not return if the Leafs want to move ahead with the rebuild and leave the past behind. For that reason, I look at this trade with a different set of glasses than if the Leafs weren’t in full scorched earth rebuild mode.
Phil is one of the most offensively gifted players in the league today. Unfortunately, there is no room for that type of one-dimensional player on the new Mike Babcock coached Leafs. A look at Kessel’s stats compared to the Leafs’ other “franchise” players over the past 25 years shows a very comparable statline; until you get to the plus/minus column.
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Gilmour 392 GP- 131g- 311a- 442p- +55
Sundin 981 GP- 420g- 567a- 987p- +94
Kessel 446 GP- 181g- 213a- 394p- -79
Is it unfair to use plus/minus to evaluate Kessel? Maybe, but it’s a glaring stat when you look at how uninterested Kessel was without the puck. My main concern with Phil is that he literally gave up last season and that is just unacceptable.
By now, you already know the details of the trade and, by the reactions of some Leaf fans on Twitter, you would think that they gave Phil away for nothing.
In reality, they got what they wanted: a top young forward prospect in Kapanen, another young prospect in Harrington, a current roster player in Spaling that can be moved for future assets and some picks (one being a 1st-rounder).
Who won the deal?
Well, if you go by the rule that the team who gets the best player wins then obviously Pittsburgh wins the deal. In fact, he will probably score 40-50 goals next season playing with Crosby or Malkin.
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However, I look at this deal with an addition by subtraction mentality.
As talented as he is, Kessel is not the type of personality that I want setting the wrong example for the youth movement that has begun within this organization at this time. It’s quite obvious that Shanahan and Babcock feel the same way or he’d still be a Maple Leaf. We, as Leaf fans, should trust the direction that they are taking with this club.
Let’s be patient with Kapanen and Harrington; trust Hunter in how he uses the picks. Let’s watch Dubas flip Spaling for yet another pick at the deadline and we’ll re-evaluate this trade in five years and I’m sure we’ll all see it differently.
Of course, we can all sit back and laugh if Kessel takes his current work ethic to Pennsylvania with him.
You know, the same way Bruins fans laughed at us on September 18, 2009.
Next: Torrin Batchelor's Take