Toronto Maple Leafs and Phil Kessel Reunion Not in the Cards

The Toronto Maple Leafs will not be reuniting with an old friend, as Phil Kessel has signed in Las Vegas. 

There was never really any realistic chance the Toronto Maple Leafs would sign Kessel, but I think a lot of us, myself included, were still hoping it could happen.

I was hoping Phil could come back for a little redemption.  He is one of the greatest players to ever play in Toronto, and he just had the misfortune to be labeled the franchise player of a terrible general manager, who failed to provide any kind of supporting cast.

Kessel has signed a one-year $1.5 million dollar contract with the Knights.  The Leafs were never a realistic possibility because they are over the salary cap already, and already have about 289 players competing for one or two spots in Training Camp.

Still Kessel would have been fun to get back.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Phil Kessel

The craziest thing about Phil Kessel – often unfairly called soft, out of shape, and hotdog monster while he was here – is that he has played in 982 straight games.

He hasn’t missed a game since he first signed in Toronto and missed the first couple weeks of his debut season recovering from shoulder surgery.

I remember people being concerned that he was injury prone, since he was injured when the Leafs got him.  He will pass Keith Yandle for the NHL’s all time Iron Man record eight games into this season, should he remain healthy.

Kessel is about the last guy you’d figure would do this, but there you go.

Since leaving the Leafs, he’s also won two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh,  playing there for four seasons.  He also played three years in Arizona.

Kessel has now played 1204 career games and his next goal will be his 400th. He currently has 956 points, and needs just 44 to hit 1000.  He is ranked 106th on the NHL’s all-time scoring leader board. (quanthockey.com).

He needs 18 points to pass Andy Bathgate, who is currently ranked 99th, and tied with Steven Stamkos, who will outscore Phil Kessel going forward.  18 points will get Phil Kessel into the top 100 of all-time, while most likely making him the league’s Iron Man.

He also ranks 106th in all-time goals, and will crack the top 100 this season as well.

And don’t forget about those two Cups.

Phil Kessel is almost certainly going to the Hall of Fame when he’s done.  His accomplishments since leaving this city should tell you everything you need to know about how this city treats its athletes.

It wasn’t Kessel’s fault that Brian Burke’s ideas were so outdated by the time their paths crossed, and he never got his due while he played here.  I was hoping he could come back and win a cup here, but who knows, maybe next year.