He wanted 5 and Boston didn't have the cap room, probably didn't want to make the cap room because of his health issues.
Its freaken Boston, did you not see what they did over the summer.
- the_eye

http://www.stanleycupofch...och-the-bruins-and-kessel

Now, it has to be taken with a grain of salt considering it's from Garrioch.

Weird: I agreed with everything you wrote until I got to "...he accepted the contracts..."

1. Don't ever blame a player for signing a contract for as much money as they can.

2. Kessel did not "accept the role" of being a core guy. He accepted the role of being Phil Kessel.

3. I reject the notion that it's Phil Kessel's fault that we didn't have a proper core.

To make a cloudy analogy:

To make a well balanced breakfast, you need eggs, milk, bread, sausage, hashbrowns, coffee and OJ.

Burkie went out and got sausage (Kessel). And some no name hashbrowns (Phaneuf). That's all Burkie did.

You were always going to need the sausage. You were always going to need the hashbrowns (yeah, you probably shoulda bought better hashbrowns, but there weren't better hashbrowns at the grocery store).

Throwing out the sausage doesn't get you any closer to a well balanced breakfast.

Trying to make the sausage into OJ doesn't get you any closer to a well balanced breakfast.

You need all those ingredients.

Complaining that the sausage isn't OJ or bread or milk is just stupid. That's not why you bought the sausage.
- Atomic Wedgie

i tried to clear up what i meant in another post

of course he would accept the contract

a leader who naturally assume the burden and understand the role he is in.... i do fault kessel for not living up to it.. but its proof he isnt a leader.. he will do well in pittsburgh.. he's basically what Hossa is to the hawks.

perfect role for him

If it's different in Pittsburgh it's because Crosby and Malkin can't do whatever they want. And if the core players can't, the hired gun can't either.

Yes - again; the problem was more the mishandling of Phil by Leafs mgmt than Phil being Phil. If he could get away with things other players couldn't, it's because they didn't stop it.
- 1979AD

They stopped it - traded him as he wouldn't do as asked

I thought Pens needed D and they traded for Phil

Good luck Mike Johnson

i tried to clear up what i meant in another post

of course he would accept the contract

a leader who naturally assume the burden and understand the role he is in.... i do fault kessel for not living up to it.. but its proof he isnt a leader.. he will do well in pittsburgh.. he's basically what Hossa is to the hawks.

perfect role for him
- Dozzer

Listen to me one second.


Never, ever, ever again, mention Marian Hossa in the same breath as Phil Kessel.



Thank you.

if he was soooooo good why wasnt boston willing to go all out to keep him?

here's the thing about picking up a guy in trade

why are they even available?

you need to ask that question.. for RFAs especially

i'd say that the mass majority of cup winning teams in the last decade have been teams that drafted their core group.. or at least the bulk of their core group
- Dozzer

Can't always judge on that. See Seguin and Hamilton.

They should have realized he wasn't the type of person who was going to step up. And yeah - it's an ideal situation for Philip and the Penguins.

Just don't expect him to keep going hard to the net like he did in that pre-season game.
- 1979AD

actually i do

if opposition D focus on kessel they leave crosby open

if they focus on crosby clear lanes to the net will open up for Phil

they are going to be scary

think of Kessel as Kurri to Crosby's Gretzky

Listen to me one second.


Never, ever, ever again, mention Marian Hossa in the same breath as Phil Kessel.



Thank you.
- Pecafan Fan

Can't always judge on that. See Seguin and Hamilton.
- Phenom

what do you mean?

Hamilton didnt win a cup and Seguin did win a cup with the team who drafted him

i tried to clear up what i meant in another post

of course he would accept the contract

a leader who naturally assume the burden and understand the role he is in.... i do fault kessel for not living up to it.. but its proof he isnt a leader.. he will do well in pittsburgh.. he's basically what Hossa is to the hawks.

perfect role for him
- Dozzer

The problem was Burke thought Phil was a better HOCKEY player than he is

The problem was Burke thought Phil was a better HOCKEY player than he is
- Garnie

Phil isnt a hockey player he is a goal scorer

http://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/2009/6/8/902574/garrioch-the-bruins-and-kessel

Now, it has to be taken with a grain of salt considering it's from Garrioch.
- Pecafan Fan

I still seem to remember something about not having 5 in cap space, but if they had 3.5 than i think it would have been easy enough to clear another 1.5

They stopped it - traded him as he wouldn't do as asked

I thought Pens needed D and they traded for Phil

Good luck Mike Johnson
- Garnie

True, just about 5 years too late though. Burke spouted on and on about 'curing blue and white disease' etc. etc., then he acquires one highly skilled player and they let him do what he wants because he puts up points in bunches.

new blog everyone

what do you mean?

Hamilton didnt win a cup and Seguin did win a cup with the team who drafted him
- Dozzer

what?

I still seem to remember something about not having 5 in cap space, but if they had 3.5 than i think it would have been easy enough to clear another 1.5
- the_eye

It's possible. as we have seen recently, it seems Chiarelli isn't too good at managing cap space

Saad is overrated. I bet you Dano ends up being the best piece of that trade.
- Phenom

overrated?

We can say that about 99% of the league

He played a pretty good role in winning a couple cups....no?

because in the clarkson deal the leafs were the team doing columbus a favour.. contracts were about equal.. only now at least columbus gets someone they can put on the ice

i am not too worried about the cap space.. as for the money.. its not mine so meh.
- Dozzer

Yeah I understand the mechanics of that deal. It's just I feel salary should never be retained on an elite goal scorer. It's a premium and a commodity in the league that any organization should be willing to go all in on and assume full salary. It's unfortunate Kessel's other 'attributes' had to be a factor.

bang (frank)in on, except I don't know who would say 'thanks but, I don't deserve 8 mill because I don't want to spend my summer running up Siberian mountains with an ox sled strapped to my back - how's $5 mill and I'll just put up some points?'.

They tried to fit an offense only, get by on natural gifts/don't have to work too hard, type square peg into the round core/leadership hole, and that sets the standard for the rest of the team.
- 1979AD

And once again, Phil Kessel was the fittest Leaf at training camp last year.

what?
- the_eye

what is incorrect about my statement?

And once again, Phil Kessel was the fittest Leaf at training camp last year.
- Atomic Wedgie

i dont believe that at all.. cox was just spouting off leaf management propaganda.. there were no stats offered whatsoever

True, just about 5 years too late though. Burke spouted on and on about 'curing blue and white disease' etc. etc., then he acquires one highly skilled player and they let him do what he wants because he puts up points in bunches.
- 1979AD

You need a good mix of skill and toughness IMO

Lots in here think if the guy is tough he's junk - not needed and can easily be replaced by nice skating - I don't get it - if we had a bit more toughness on the backend during game 7 a few years ago - I think we win the series

Weird: I agreed with everything you wrote until I got to "...he accepted the contracts..."

1. Don't ever blame a player for signing a contract for as much money as they can.

2. Kessel did not "accept the role" of being a core guy. He accepted the role of being Phil Kessel.

3. I reject the notion that it's Phil Kessel's fault that we didn't have a proper core.

To make a cloudy analogy:

To make a well balanced breakfast, you need eggs, milk, bread, sausage, hashbrowns, coffee and OJ.

Burkie went out and got sausage (Kessel). And some no name hashbrowns (Phaneuf). That's all Burkie did.

You were always going to need the sausage. You were always going to need the hashbrowns (yeah, you probably shoulda bought better hashbrowns, but there weren't better hashbrowns at the grocery store).

Throwing out the sausage doesn't get you any closer to a well balanced breakfast.

Trying to make the sausage into OJ doesn't get you any closer to a well balanced breakfast.

You need all those ingredients.

Complaining that the sausage isn't OJ or bread or milk is just stupid. That's not why you bought the sausage.
- Atomic Wedgie

Screw it, I'll just have waffles. We got plenty of those.

what do you mean?

Hamilton didnt win a cup and Seguin did win a cup with the team who drafted him
- Dozzer

I mean about the 'if he's so good, why did they trade him?' argument. Great players get traded sometimes, and the Bruins have a history of it.

And once again, Phil Kessel was the fittest Leaf at training camp last year.
- Atomic Wedgie

Says a newspaper guy

I don't really believe that and I'm not saying he's the worst guy either

Tell me guys coming into camp who've worked all summer knowing they still need to make the team and Phil stating he barely skated all summer yet he's in the best shape - IMO