At this point in the summer, most teams are looking to make small tweaks to their lineups and settle with their restricted free-agent class. Other teams are still on the hunt for bargains, and with salary cap space at a minimum there are still a lot of strong veteran players who can contribute positively if put in the right position. That statement perfectly describes NHL Iron Man Phil Kessel, a three-time cup winner, a possible future hall of famer, and a man just eight points shy of 1000 for his career.
Despite being a healthy scratch for most of the Vegas Golden Knights journey to their first Stanley Cup, Kessel remains the NHL Iron Man having played 1064 consecutive NHL games and counting.
The streak does not factor in regular season games leaving Kessel’s number intact should he sign with an NHL team this summer.
Kessel hasn’t missed an NHL regular season game since October 31, 2009, when he was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, a remarkable run of durability. Since debuting with the Boston Bruins 2007-08 season, Kessel has posted 413 goals and 579 assists in 1286 career games. Over the course of his 17-year NHL career, he has had six 30-goal seasons and four seasons with 80 points or more.
Kessel has reached a point in his career where it appears he is content to let the market come to him, last summer he didn’t sign with the Golden Knights until August, and it paid off handsomely as he was able to collect another Stanley Cup ring. Kessel signed for $1.5MM on a one-year deal at the time, and it was considered a bargain for a player coming of a 52-point season the year prior. For their investment, Vegas got 14 goals and 22 assists out of Kessel in 82 games as he played largely in a sheltered depth role. That type of role on a contending team is probably the ideal circumstance for the 35-year-old. Gone are the days when Kessel could play 18 minutes a night as he is better suited at this stage of his career to play 10-12 minutes per game.
Kessel isn’t the dynamic skater he once was, and he can’t fire his snapshot off the rush that made him a perennial 30-goal scorer, but he can be a veteran offensive presence on a team that is looking for some scoring from their bottom-6 forward group.
Stats
2022-23: 82 GP, 14-22-36, -7 rating, 30 PIMS, 149 shots, 41.7% faceoffs, 50.5% CF, 12:49 ATOI
Career: 1286 GP, 413-579-992, -155 rating, 402 PIMS, 3849 shots, 42.2% faceoffs, 55.2% CF, 17:42 ATOI
Potential Suitors
At 35 years of age, it is unlikely that Kessel would want to be part of a rebuilding team which removes several potential suitors from the equation. The honest answer is that the biggest suitor for Phil Kessel might be retirement. However, should he choose to continue playing the Ottawa Senators might be an option that makes sense given that they just traded away an offensive winger in Alex DeBrincat and have a bottom-six forward group that might not chip in much offensively. Currently, the Senators have Mathieu Joseph as their third-line right winger, however, he scored just three times last year and is likely better suited for a fourth-line role. Whether or not Kessel would want to play for the Senators is another story.
Sticking with the East, another team that could make sense is the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning have seen their depth decimated by free agency and a flat-cap world as they have had to watch some terrific depth pieces walk out the door or be traded due to cap constraints. They now find their bottom six void of much in the way of offence, something that Kessel could remedy. An addition like Phil won’t put the Lightning’s cap situation into peril and would likely give the Madison, Wisconsin native a chance to play with some terrific players. It would also give Kessel the opportunity to play in a warmer climate, something he reportedly enjoys.
Out West, one might wonder if a return to the Vegas Golden Knights would make sense for Kessel. There is an adage that players hate moving their stuff, and Kessel did seem comfortable playing in Las Vegas. For the Golden Knights they have seen some of the offence from their cup-winning squad walk out the door and by bringing Kessel back they would get to welcome a known commodity into the fold with much of a cost.
Projected Contract
Kessel wasn’t chosen as one of our Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents last month, falling outside the Top 50 despite winning his third Stanley Cup this past season. At this point in Phil’s career, he is a long shot to get a contract with a salary north of $1MM unless a team is looking to reach the salary cap floor. If Kessel is open to taking a league-minimum deal, he could be a good option for a team hoping to improve one of the power play units. Kessel is still an excellent passer as evidenced by his 22 assists last season despite playing a career low 12:49 per game. At this point in his career, Kessel has won three cups and made his money, leaving him very little to play for other than a love of the game. If he does return it will most likely be on a one-year deal for a tick above the league minimum of $775K.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Retiring is Kessel’s best option.
Like on pretty much every other hockey topic, you are out of your depth on this one. You have recently babbled that guys coming off 20 goal seasons should retire, seemingly based on nothing but age. Phil Kessel will be only 36 at the beginning of the upcoming season, is coming off a 36 point campaign, and can obviously still contribute. If he decides to continue playing he will get paid, a team will get value, and you will once again be left standing with a deer-in-the-headlights look on your face.
Never really liked Phil, but a young (likely) playoff bound team seems like a good fit, NJ and Buffalo both stick out.
I always scratch my head at how fans of other teams don’t like Phil and call him a lazy hot dog eater, etc.
That dude is a legend among Penguin fans and he is a complete fan favorite. Admittedly the coach is not a big fan. lol
To be fair he is in fact a self admitted hot dog eater.
I can’t speak for other fan bases but in Toronto, he was vilified unfairly because of their playoff failures. And I mean, really unfairly. He and Phaneuf came in heralded as saviours and given large contracts to match that. They did exactly what they were advertised to do but management failed to build appropriately around them. When they failed Toronto fans did what they always do and vilified them, not realizing they placed unreal expectations upon them. I’ve always liked Phil and Dion and I had a chance to meet them on several occasions. They are great guys, true class acts and they loved playing for Toronto. It’s unfortunate what the fan base did to these guys.
Come back to Toronto we will pay you no salary but unlimited hot dogs!! Nah even for that price it’s not worth it
He’s more likely to help a team win than like 10% of players in the league
Tough situation for Phil.
He needs to sign with a team bad enough to keep him in the lineup (unlike VGK) but he doesn’t provide a great role model for young players and his production has dropped off so there is no reason really for a bad team to sign him either.
Still, I love that the hot dog eater is the all time iron man and hope someone signs him and dresses him.
It’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.
What does that have to do with anything?
I dunno, just felt like throwing out a random Star Wars reference. Dog days of summer.
But how many hotdogs can Phil eat in 12 parsecs is the bigger question. :D
That answer lies in the Oscar Mayer system. After that you head to the French’s mustard nebula, and the Heinz relish cluster
This could be a Space Balls type blockbuster flick! :D
“No one gives me the raspberry!”
Let Phil the thrill hit the 1000pt mark before he retires!
Phil was a dynamic skater? When was that? The knock on him has always been sub par skating.
He competed in the fastest skater competition in the past and held his own.
He competed almost 10 years ago, and beat Tyler Seguin, who also is not exactly known for his speed. Kessel can go north and south at a decent pace, but his “skating” has never been a strong attribute. His shot was his calling card, not his skating. Skating also means his acceleration and his east to west movements and his ability to turn around and skate defensively. He could go forward at a maybe above average pace at one point. Never was he a “dynamic skater.”
Not a Phil hater. He was an above average player for many years… But to say his skating was an elite trait of his is wrong. He had a strong accurate shot. Fleet of foot he was not.
Serious recency bias in this scouting report.
Phil could fly.
He was only a step slower than Hagelin when on HBK.
He’ll play for someone. Note-
“…and a man just eight points shy of 1000 for his career.”
Problem is that the guy’s down to bottom six production without a bottom six skill set; not too many teams are looking for a third-liner who isn’t a grinder or a two-way player.
Honestly, it’s time to retire while he can do it on his own terms. He’s got another Cup ring, he’s got the iron man record, he’s got nothing left to prove … except that he’s got more dignity than to end up like Keith Yandle, say.
Random guess on Phil…he signs a PTO with Jimmy and the Canucks.
Do they have casinos in Vancouver?