PHIL KESSEL - Right Winger - 31 - $6.8MM Cap Hit - UFA in 2022-2023
LAST UPDATED 8/20/19
One of the league's brightest offensive stars for the past decade now, Phil Kessel becomes easily the biggest name Arizona has brought to their team since the departure of Shane Doan. On a team that's famous for two things: struggling to score and struggling to win, Kessel will be a massive help. He struggled to fit in Pittsburgh this past season, unable to play with Crosby and Malkin but also too valuable to play on a third line, and was an offseason casualty. He now gets to be the offensive centerpiece in Arizona, and gets the opportunity to be a true franchise player. He's been miscast by most casual NHL fans as a true high-end sniper, and that originates from his days in Toronto, where he scored 30+ goals with regularity. In Pittsburgh, though, he transformed himself into a true play-driving setup winger, and while that allowed him to win two Stanley Cups that shift also is what cost him his fit on the team. Kessel has elite puck skills and a lethal shot, and he's a massive asset on the power play where he can make the most of his skills with the puck on his stick. He's a true offensive play driver as a winger, and that's most apparent on the man advantage. At 5v5 play Kessel's lack of elite foot speed hurts him, as he's less able to create the time and space he needs to make the most of his offensive tools. Defensively, Kessel is a liability, as his aggressive offensive style causes him to be somewhat mistake prone and Kessel also just isn't big enough, strong enough, or instinctual enough to be a defensive winger. That being said, Kessel as a defensive liability isn't a huge deal because he scores. In Arizona it'll be a true test for him, as he'll need to survive with less talented teammates than he had in Pittsburgh and the effects of being an aging skater, but I think he'll thrive. He's an elite first line winger with immense power play value.
One of the league's brightest offensive stars for the past decade now, Phil Kessel becomes easily the biggest name Arizona has brought to their team since the departure of Shane Doan. On a team that's famous for two things: struggling to score and struggling to win, Kessel will be a massive help. He struggled to fit in Pittsburgh this past season, unable to play with Crosby and Malkin but also too valuable to play on a third line, and was an offseason casualty. He now gets to be the offensive centerpiece in Arizona, and gets the opportunity to be a true franchise player. He's been miscast by most casual NHL fans as a true high-end sniper, and that originates from his days in Toronto, where he scored 30+ goals with regularity. In Pittsburgh, though, he transformed himself into a true play-driving setup winger, and while that allowed him to win two Stanley Cups that shift also is what cost him his fit on the team. Kessel has elite puck skills and a lethal shot, and he's a massive asset on the power play where he can make the most of his skills with the puck on his stick. He's a true offensive play driver as a winger, and that's most apparent on the man advantage. At 5v5 play Kessel's lack of elite foot speed hurts him, as he's less able to create the time and space he needs to make the most of his offensive tools. Defensively, Kessel is a liability, as his aggressive offensive style causes him to be somewhat mistake prone and Kessel also just isn't big enough, strong enough, or instinctual enough to be a defensive winger. That being said, Kessel as a defensive liability isn't a huge deal because he scores. In Arizona it'll be a true test for him, as he'll need to survive with less talented teammates than he had in Pittsburgh and the effects of being an aging skater, but I think he'll thrive. He's an elite first line winger with immense power play value.
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