Well, the 2015 NHL Entry Draft is two days away. June 26th will be the day that every Leafs fan has waited and hoped for. Not only does it mark the day that we bring two top prospects into the organization, it also marks the day that we begin our rebuild. And part of this rebuild includes getting rid of our core. The main piece of this core, being star winger Phil Kessel. Lots of Leafs fans love Phil Kessel, others don't. You can't argue with the fact that he's a great hockey player. He has never had a #1 centre to work with over the years, yet he has still managed to put up points at almost a point per game pace every year. That being said, you can't build a cup winning team around a player like Phil Kessel. He would be a great compliment to any contending team, but it's time we restart and try to rebuild properly. In this article, we take a look at three possible destinations for Phil Kessel.
1. Florida Panthers
The Panthers may not have had too much success over the past couple of years, but in 2014-15 they proved that they're on their way to contending for a playoff spot, improving from getting the first overall pick in the 2014 Entry Draft, up to the 11th pick in the upcoming 2015 draft. They have lots of cap space to work with, and Kessel would be a fine compliment alongside of Aleksander Barkov on the top line. This all being said, the Leafs could look to take a struggling Jonathan Huberdeau off of Florida's hands. Huberdeau is a restricted free agent this year, and the Leafs could look to trade for him and then re-sign him, if Florida is getting Kessel back. Kessel would drastically improve their chances at a playoff spot next season, and it would work well on the Leafs' behalf considering they are already looking to pursue draft picks and prospects in return for their core.
Potential deal with Florida: Kessel to FLA in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau and the 11th overall pick in 2015
2. New Jersey Devils
What's the one thing New Jersey desperately needs? Scoring. They need scoring. With the Devils hiring newly-appointed GM Ray Shero, he will surely look to turn things around in Newark and trade for some offense. The Devils' organization has also previously stated that they would be willing to deal their first round pick. This almost looks like a match made in heaven. If interim GM Kyle Dubas and Ray Shero can work out a deal for "Phil the Thrill", then this trade could benefit both sides greatly.
Potential deal with New Jersey: Kessel to NJ in exchange for the sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft and prospect Reid Boucher
3. Montreal Canadiens
It's the same story for the Habs every year. They have a great regular season, and then they head into the playoffs, and the weight collapses on Carey Price's back. They have an outstanding goaltender, they have a good defensive core, but they lack that top scorer. They do have Max Pacioretty, but the scoring rate completely drops off after there. Almost every Leafs fan would hate to see Phil Kessel in the Bleu-Blanc-et-rouge, but this deal could prove to benefit both sides, as the Habs have Zach Fucale, a goaltender prospect whom they're unhappy with his development, they have a young centre in Alex Galchenyuk, whom they could be willing to fork over if they're getting Kessel in return, and they have a late first round pick. Fans of both sides would love and hate to see this deal take place, but in the end it could help both teams.
Potential deal with Montreal: Kessel to MTL in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk, Zach Fucale, and the 26th overall pick in the 2015 Draft.
What do you think, Leafs fans? Would you like to see any of these trades take place? Weigh in below.
No comments:
Post a Comment