After signing with the Vegas Golden Knights, forward Phil Kessel is no longer a free agent.
The 34-year-old waited a long time to sign a contract after completing his third season with the Arizona Coyotes, but he is coming off of his most productive campaign with the Yotes. Kessel tallied eight goals and 44 assists for 52 points in 82 games last year.
Playing in the desert doesn’t exactly help raise anyone’s stock, but Kessel was clearly going to have a market this summer. Of course, other players held things up, but after Nazem Kadri joined the Calgary Flames last week, the door opened for Kessel to be signed.
The Vegas Golden Knights were the team that stepped through that door, giving the two-time Stanley Cup champion a one-year contract worth $1.5 million.
Phil Kessel has signed with the Golden Knights.
This deal makes sense for both sides. For Kessel, Vegas is a team that allows him to once again be competitive. It’s difficult to call the Knights title contenders, as they currently have no starting goalie, plus they have salary cap issues, but this move is an obvious step up.
On the other side, the Golden Knights needed an affordable way to fill out the roster. Bringing Kessel in at this price gives Vegas a champion and a proven scorer for which it doesn’t have to overpay. Basically, the team was able to solve one problem without creating a new one.
Kessel still seems to have plenty left to give to his new team. He has been known throughout his career for being healthy, and the Golden Knights could use some additional health.
Plus, if he can manage a 50-point campaign with the Coyotes, he’ll undoubtedly be capable of that with a much more talented Vegas team.
In his career, Kessel has played in 1,204 contests, scoring 399 goals, 557 assists, and 956 points. His best season came in 2017-2018 with the Pittsburgh Penguins when he recorded 34 goals and 58 assists for 92 points in 82 games.