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Phil Kessel

By Garth McLennan, Sports Editor

rofessional sports are filled with
Presses: that’s often what makes it so

fun to watch. Unfortunately though, that
same emotion can also come back to bite teams
and players. That is the case going on now for
the Boston Bruins.

2008-09 was a tremendous season for
the Bruins. They revitalized their team and
recharged the city’s long hockey history by
finishing first in Eastern Conference during
the regular season and sweeping the Montreal
Canadians in the first round of last year’s
playoffs before bowing out to the upstart
Carolina Hurricanes.

A huge reason for the team’s success
was the play of American sniper Phil Kessel.
The 21-year old, in just his third NHL season,
finished third in team scoring with 60 points
and fired 36 goals, which led the defensively
minded club. He did all this despite missing ten
games with injury and mononucleosis.

When the off-season rolled around,
Kessel was without a contract as a restricted
free agent. Months of negotiating with the
Bruins’ brass turned sour, with both sides
getting increasingly frustrated and venting to
the media. Eventually the insults began to fly in
early September and both sides said that a deal
was basically out of the realm of possibility.

That led to Boston dealing Kessel to the
Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for two first
round draft picks (in 2010 and 2011) and a
2010 second round pick. Kessel immediately
came to terms with the Maple Leafs, as he
signed a five-year, $27 million pact with
Toronto almost as soon as the trade was
finalized.

Despite the comments from Bruins’

players and management about how this isn’t
a big loss, nothing could be further from the
truth. In all likelihood, losing Kessel, and
getting nothing but draft picks in return, is
going to devastate Boston. Phil Kessel was
supposed to be a franchise cornerstone for
Boston. They drafted him fifth overall in 2006
and he made the NHL straight out as an 18 year
old. Kessel contracted testicular cancer in his
rookie campaign, but didn’t let that slow him
down and still played 70 games. At the end of
the year he was awarded the Bill Masterson
Trophy as the NHL’s comeback player of the
year.

Since then, Kessel has established himself
as a real game-breaker. He’s one of the most
gifted dekers in the NHL, has blinding speed
and dazzling ability with the puck. He can
score from just about anywhere on the ice and
has a tremendous shot. Losing a bona-fide 40
goal scorer, with 50 goal and beyond potential,
who is their leading goal scorer would be a
huge blow for any team. For a squad like the
Bruins, who have struggled to fill the net in
recent years, it could prove to be disastrous.

Meanwhile, Toronto has now improved
dramatically. They still aren’t a contender
yet, but they’ ve acquired a future superstar,
if he isn’t already, that could very well lead
the league in goals within two to three years.
Despite Boston GM Peter Chiarelli’s views,
Kessel has proven to be loaded with character.
He’s battled back time and time again from
situations beyond his control to become a
deadly scoring threat. If he can stay healthy
and be allowed to play his game, don’t be
surprised if this summer goes down as a true
turning point for the Maple Leafs, and downfall
moment for the Bruins.

 

0 Ge Tp

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