Phil Kessel's a popular teammate with three Stanley Cup rings. The clock is ticking on whether the Vancouver Canucks bring him on for the playoff run or not.

Earlier this season, in a press-box debate on which NHL player might be best-liked among his peers across the league, Phil Kessel's name came up. 

The three-time Stanley Cup champion does have an elite reputation for being 'good in the room.'

"I think sometimes he's misunderstood as aloof, but he does care," Shane Hnidy told ESPN in October 2022. "He wants to win. You've seen that in his career. He hasn't changed. There's this mystery about him, as this laid-back guy. And he is one. But it's all about in the room. He's always been a popular teammate."

Hnidy joined the Boston Bruins as a veteran defenseman during Kessel's second NHL season, in January 2008. Now a broadcaster for the Vegas Golden Knights, Hnidy said Kessel was "in some of the best shape I've ever seen him in" last season, when he set the NHL's all-time consecutive-games record.

"He was just a complete character," said James van Riemsdyk, Kessel's teammate with the Toronto Maple Leafs. "He loves to stir the pot, making dry comments. It's good to have someone that will speak his mind in the room in certain scenarios. Those dialogues are really healthy and good. Phil's the unintentionally funny guy. He's not trying to be funny, but he ends up being hilarious."

In less than a week, we'll know if Phil Kessel will be bringing that locker-room presence to Vancouver Canucks, or any other team, this season.

Since mid-February, Kessel has been skating with Vancouver's AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. And while sightings have been few and far between, he was spotted in the background of a practice photo from the Abbotsford Centre earlier this week.

As Max Miller of The Hockey News' Canucks team site reported on Tuesday, local insider Rick Dhaliwal says both sides are hopeful that Kessel's efforts will culminate in a contract with Vancouver. 

In order for him to be eligible for the playoffs, the Canucks would need to have Kessel on their active NHL roster at the trade deadline, this Friday at 3 p.m. ET.

If it happens, it could very well be a last-minute move.

Vancouver GM Patrik Allvin got a massive item checked off his to-do list on Saturday when he announced that Elias Pettersson has signed an eight-year contract extension. But during his two years in Vancouver, Allvin has shown that he's not afraid to wheel and deal — and has the wherewithal to make trades when other GMs stand pat.

A month ago, he boldly jump-started the 2024 trade-deadline market by acquiring the top available center, Elias Lindholm, from the Calgary Flames. 

There have been whispers that he isn't done. And after shipping out Andrei Kuzmenko as part of the return for Lindholm, the Canucks have room in their top six for another skilled forward. 

They've been linked to impending UFAs Tyler Toffoli and Jake Guentzel. Kessel can be had for the price of a pro-rated contract, but there would be a significant acquisition cost for either of those high-scoring wingers. 

Toffoli also has 26 goals this season, and Guentzel has 22. They're proven commodities, and recent history has shown that it's not easy for players over 35 to step back into the NHL after spending significant time away.

Justin Williams tried a mid-season comeback with the Carolina Hurricanes at age 38 in 2020. It was cut short by the pandemic after 20 games, and he wasn't able to regain his mojo in the summer playoff bubble. 

Still looking for a Stanley Cup, 39-year-old Zach Parise signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche in late January. He has six points in 13 games so far.

But then there's Patrick Kane. Just one year younger than Kessel at 35, Kane is moving the needle on what's possible after hip-resurfacing surgery, and has become a vital cog in the Detroit Red Wings' push to return to playoff contention. 

Kessel may turn out to be Vancouver's backup plan — the easy acquisition that Allvin keeps in his back pocket as he navigates the trade-deadline market between now and Friday.

But he might be more. For a Canucks team that doesn't have a single player that has ever suited up for a playoff game at Rogers Arena, Kessel's Cup-winning experience and the good vibes he brings to the dressing room might deliver a similar spark to what he brought to Allvin and Jim Rutherford's champion Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2016.