It would be entertaining, but the Pittsburgh Penguins don't need to worry about adding Phil Kessel to the lineup.

Phil Kessel was nothing short of a fantastic forward and fan favorite during his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In four seasons with the Penguins, Kessel never missed a game and recorded 303 total points (110G-193A) all while helping push for back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.

Usually known as an elite goal scorer, there was something about playing in Pittsburgh that brought out Kessel’s legit playmaking ability.

Playing most of his time alongside Evgeni Malkin, Kessel became a threat in multiple facets at even strength and was an obvious factor on the power play.

After winning his third Stanley Cup as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, Kessel is looking for a new home in the NHL and the Penguins name has been brought up a fair amount.

A reunion between the Penguins and Kessel would be enticing and he fits some of the needs still open on the roster.

The power play has lacked a trigger man ever since his departure and the forward depth could use a bump of offense.

Adding Kessel would solve those issues, but others would arise with his presence.

The Penguins added a huge piece to their power play when they acquired defenseman Erik Karlsson.

Sure, Karlsson isn’t the same kind of shooter Kessel is, but Karlsson should be able to spread the offense around as the new power play quarterback.

If you look at the depth brought on by Kyle Dubas this offseason, you can notice a clear trend; two-way or defensive mindset forwards.

Kessel doesn’t offer that, he’s all offense, all of the time; that can be made pretty clear considering he’s eight points shy of 1,000 on his career, yet is a minus-155.

Dubas and head coach Mike Sullivan want guys that can not only produce at a decent enough level offensively, but also play smart in their own end and contribute defensively.

Kessel is no doubt a future Hall of Famer, and would certainly add to the entertainment value of the Penguins for the 2023-24 season, but it just wouldn’t be a fit.

Even if Kessel is fine with not being an everyday player, there is just too much offensive surplus that he would have to wade through.

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