NHL Draft: Five Moves Worth Watching For
By Adam Savard
The Toronto Maple Leafs will not trade Phil Kessel at the NHL Draft.
Apr 8, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs right-wing Phil Kessel (81) against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Jackets won 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
It feels like close to two years since rumors began flying about Phil Kessel being traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now Kessel has apparently given his list of eight teams he would accept a trade to, fueling more rumors heading into the NHL Draft.
Looking at that list, it’s a whose who of teams with enough cap space to sign me. Trading Kessel will be difficult enough with his massive contract. Trading him to a team with limited space will force the Maple Leafs to take back salary. Is that really the strategy a rebuilding team takes?
No, it’s the strategy a retooling team takes. Did the hiring of Mike Babcock as head coach put “win now” pressure on a franchise that needs to shed salary, draft well and often, and show patience with player development? Is moving Phil Kessel at the NHL Draft the only move between the lottery and a playoff berth? Not by a long shot.
The only team on that list I believe is insane enough to pull off a next-level blockbuster is the Philadelphia Flyers. If Kessel were to be traded to the Flyers at the NHL Draft, I think it’s in the CBA that Hextall has to get a goaltender back in the deal. Someone else to contribute to the endless Philadelphia crease curse.
There is no way Hextall can pull this off without sacrificing the core of his team. The Flyers are closer to the playoffs than Toronto is and this deal would set that back. I do expect the Maple Leafs to be very active at the NHL Draft. Nazem Kadri and James van Riemsdyk are two players whom could change addresses, particularly Kadri. But Phil Kessel isn’t going anywhere.