Phil Kessel is still a free agent, but the Vancouver Canucks brought him over to work out. The three-time Cup champion would provide valuable insurance to the club if he signs there, says Adam Proteau.
Phil Kessel is still a free agent, but the Vancouver Canucks brought him over to work out. The three-time Cup champion would provide valuable insurance to the club if he signs there, says Adam Proteau.
In his stellar NHL career, star winger Phil Kessel has played for five different teams. That could grow to six teams in the next few weeks if all goes well with the Vancouver Canucks.
Kessel is in British Columbia and will train with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, Vancouver GM Patrik Allvin announced Tuesday.
If things pan out, the 36-year-old veteran will join the Vancouver Canucks, and it makes sense why Canucks GM Patrik Allvin decided to take a chance on him. Kessel’s Stanley Cup championship pedigree – he’s been on three Cup winners thus far – and his ability to adapt to different roles make him an attractive pickup.
To be sure, the Canucks don’t have many things left to address on their roster. They’ve been the NHL’s most dominant team this season, and it’s in no small part because of the depth they’ve had before Kessel came into the mix.
At Kessel’s right wing spot, Vancouver already has Elias Lindholm, Brock Boeser, Conor Garland and Ilya Mikheyev. Mikheyev can play left wing, but so can Kessel, and we see a fit for him on the Canucks’ fourth line.
In limited minutes with the Vegas Golden Knights last season, Kessel generated 14 goals and 36 points in 82 games. The Canucks are a better regular-season team than Vegas was last year, so it stands to reason that Kessel could post better individual members with Vancouver.
If he does sign a one-year contract with the Canucks, it’s likely to be a league-minimum-salary deal, but it’s more about insurance for what Vancouver already has than it is about him playing a major role with the team. That will take away any pressure Kessel might be feeling with this new employment situation. He can give the Canucks 10 to 13 minutes of ice time per game, chip in some offense where he can and use his Cup-winning experience to help his new Canucks teammates cope with expectations and high-impact scenarios.
If Kessel doesn’t show enough promise with Abbotsford, the Canucks can wish him luck and send him on his way, either to another team or to retirement. Kessel really doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone at this stage of his career, but the fire that’s driven him to hold the NHL’s ironman games streak record is what’s keeping him active and focused through this unusual situation.
In 17 NHL seasons, he’s been consistently productive – and Allvin has done his homework on him. He’s not going to be a dressing room problem if he doesn’t play well for a couple of games; rather, he’s going to quietly push his nose deeper into the competitive grindstone and take advantage of the opportunities he does get from Canucks coach Rick Tocchet.
Coming to terms with the end of a playing career is very difficult for NHLers. They’ve believed in themselves since they were children, and that belief is what’s behind their success. Kessel clearly still believes he has something to offer to a team in hockey’s best league, and we shouldn’t be quick to dismiss him. In 1,286 regular-season games, he’s established himself as a dependable contributor, and while Vancouver may be his final NHL stop, don’t think he has nothing left to give. He’s made a lot of money proving doubters wrong, and this time may be no different.