Phil Kessel
Current Team: Arizona Coyotes
Age: 34
2021-22 Stats: 82 Games, 8 Goals, 52 Points
Current Salary: $8 million
Would it be bonkers to see Phil “the Thrill” Kessel back in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform? It would be quite the story to see the ironman return to Toronto for another Cup run. He would be remembered forever if he helped bring the Stanley Cup to Toronto.
Kessel may be a perfect fit with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s thrived in situations where he’s relied on as a secondary scorer and not the centre of attention.
I can see him playing on the Toronto Maple Leafs second line with John Tavares. William Nylander could shift over to the left wing. That would be a powerful second line.
Kessel had the lowest goal total of his career last season, but the Arizona Coyotes were definitely less than inspirational last year. He did have a decent number of assists despite being on a terrible team and his goal scoring touch could bounce back on a good team.
I could see Kessel having great chemistry offensively with Tavares and Nylander too. Kessel has had a great ability to score at a distance where Tavares usually scores more up close. All three players can score and dish though.
Phil Kessel’s days as an $8 million player are behind him, but a deal in Toronto depends on his market value. Kessel likes Toronto though and brought the Stanley Cup to Toronto’s SickKids Hospital for his day with the Cup in 2016.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have actually just finished paying for the salary they retained when they traded Kessel to Pittsburgh in 2015. Imagine if they started paying him again.