MAJOR: Phil Kessel Linked to His Former Team Ahead of the Trade Deadline
Phil Kessel, the NHLs all-time Iron Man, is currently a free agent without a team. Bleacher Report has sparked discussions by naming the top five teams that could be a good fit for him, as the trade deadline approaches.
Bleacher Report highlights the top 5 destinations for Phil Kessel. Which team do you hope to see him join? 👀
Read the full story here: https://t.co/x3bAgIHXGK pic.twitter.com/Iqq4kiIl93— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 12, 2024
Phil Kessel On His Way Back to the Pittsburgh Penguins?
There's increased focus on Kessel, who played a crucial role for the Golden Knights in reaching the playoffs last season. Despite playing less in the playoffs, his experience and locker room presence could be a game-changer. After all, there aren't too many 3-time cup winners available on the market.
The Penguins, a team Kessel has won two of those Stanley Cups with, could benefit from his return.
His experience could be particularly useful for improving their performance, especially in a third-line role where he could significantly contribute to scoring. With Nick Bonino equally being a free agent after his buyout earlier this month, could the Penguins re-assemble two thirds of the famed HBK line?
Financially, signing Kessel at the league's minimum salary could be a wise decision for the Penguins, as their salary cap situation is far from ideal.
Is Kessel back in Pittsburgh a match made in heaven?
| POLL | ||
FÉVRIER 13 | 124 ANSWERS MAJOR: Phil Kessel Linked to His Former Team Ahead of the Trade Deadline Do you think Kessel will make the hall of fame? | ||
| Yes | 76 | 61.3 % |
| No | 48 | 38.7 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Conor Garland | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dylan Guenther | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Nick Schmaltz | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Jake Debrusk | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack McBain | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alex Newhook | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mikhail Sergachev | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jayden Struble | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Cole Caufield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Logan Cooley | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Christian Dvorak | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Barrett Hayton | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Quinn Hughes | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Clayton Keller | - | 1 | 1 | |
| David Savard | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Pius Suter | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Arber Xhekaj | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Joel Armia | - | - | - | |
| Arshdeep Bains | - | - | - | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 22 | 18 | 4 | - | 36 | |
Devils | 24 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 32 | |
Hurricanes | 21 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 31 | |
Wild | 21 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 30 | |
Golden Knights | 22 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 30 | |
Capitals | 21 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 29 | |
Maple Leafs | 21 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 28 | |
Flames | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 27 | |
Stars | 20 | 13 | 7 | - | 26 | |
Rangers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||