Comments for Battle of Ontario....
They were playing NHL 2010 and Kessel had Michalek on his Sens squad.
A rebuttal for you Don. Here are 5 recent 40-50 goal scorers and their first 3 years in the NHL.
1. Jeff Carter scored 23, 14 and 29 goals his first three seasons. The one after he scored 41.
2. Jerome Iginla's goals in his first three years: 21,13,28. He's had 50 goals twice since then.
3. Zach Parise scored 18, 14, 31, before scoring 45 last season.
4. Brad Boyes scored 33, 26, 17 and then exploded with 43.
5. Mike Cammelleri scored 26, 34 and then 19 before striking for 40.
So I'm not so sure you can say Kessel won't score 40+ or even 50+ just because of what he did when he was 19-21 years-old.
He'll need a lot of good things to happen even to improve on last season, but since Kaberle didn't say WHEN Kessel would score 40-50 goals, people can save the "No Savard" argument because Kessel is signed for 5 years and will see more than a few centers. I'll gamble and say a few that aren't even here yet.
19 goals is a 72% improvement over 11 and 36 goals is an 89% improvement over 19. All he had to do was maintain the same rate of improvement and he would have scored between 62 and 68 goals this year if he were healthy. Kaberle's predictions are perfectly in line with Kessel's career trends.
Ya. Sure. Kessel will score 68 goals.
That's like saying Spezza will become an incredible leader and Bryan Murray a great GM.
Come on man...
Kessel...68 goals...Over 3 seasons.
Murray great GM and Spezza a future leader? Actually true, your sarcasm is once again misguided. Book it!
Don't forget that classic knee slapper " the leafs will make the playoffs".
The last time the Leafs had a:
50 goal scorer: 93/94 (Andreychuck)
40 goal scorer: 01/02 (Sundin)
30 goal scorer: 07/08 (Sundin)
Only two Leafs have been 30 goal scorers since 2000: Sundin (multiple times) and Mogilny (who?)
Kessel is no Sundin.
Kaberle obviously intended to end that quote with "...on another team."
wow THM, that was almost a Sundin compliment, did it hurt?
No, Jared. Sundin was a selfish, sleazebag captain. Kessel isn't a captain.
That was the point I was trying to make 
50 goal scorer: 06/07 (Heatley)
40 goal scorer: 07/08 (Alfredsson, Heatley)
30 goal scorer: 07/08 (Spezza, Alfredsson, Heatley)
Now before you all go off and rail about Heatley, keep in mind that other 30 and 40 goal scorers have played for the Senators in the last decade. The common denominator?
Daniel Alfredsson.
shoulda started that last one with "Senators last:"
that's the spirit
Alfredsson sucks!
That is all history now. The real question is who will have the next 40 goal scorer and I'll put my money on Kessel over anyone currently playing on the Senators.
Kessel isn't a captain.
That was a point Pierre Mcguire made on the Team this morning. He said he skates like Pat Lafontaine and shoots like Brett Hull (typical Mcguire hyperbole), but he's not very friendly with his teammates and isn't a leader (seems to match what I've read elsewhere about Kessel).
The red flag for me is if he legitimately is a 50-goal scorer (and I think he is) why didn't the Bruins find a way to keep him. Players like that don't grow on trees. You can draft in the 5-10 spots of the first round for 5 years straight and potentially not end up with a player as good as that.
I think we're seeing in Ottawa why Montreal was willing to let Kovalev sign elsewhere, despite his popularity in that city. I'm guessing before Christmas we'll have a better idea of why Boston was willing to part ways with one of the most promising young players in the NHL.
The mental makeup and presence in the dressing room has dogged Kessel for years. I don't think the issue was ever he was a bad teammate but rather that he was shy and unsure of himself and lacked personal confidence and maybe didn't fit in because of it. I don't think he is or has ever been considered a trouble maker or a disturbance in the dressing room.
In his draft year he was considered a potential first overall pick but people questioned his mental makeup and whether he could handle the pressure and hard work required to develop into an top NHLer and as a result he dropped to the Bruins at #5. But, he has developed pretty well so far and he was a key member of a very good Boston team last year so those are good signs. Plus both Burke and Wilson are familiar with him from the US Olympic camp this past summer and both have said his attitude and personal confidence has improved.
Will he be a leader in the NHL? Probably not, especially not in the Mark Messier way. But we must remember he is only 22 years old and we must also remember that Mats Sundin was not exactly a strong personality or a dominant vocal force in the dressing room. His leadership was more of a quiet leadership and leadership by example and he grew into his leadership role over time. Kessel could do the same.
I don't think we have to be concerned whether Kessel can be a leader or a captain. He is here to score lots of goals and be a key component for the franchise for years to come.
Luke Schenn, Nazem Kadri and Chris DiDomenico are all guys who seem to have leadership. They can take the spotlight later on. Or perhaps Mike Komiserek, who, at 27 years-old, might be the perfect choice as a link between the youth movement and any current or soon-to-be-acquired veterans landing on this roster.
If Kessel scores 35 goals and doesn't say a peep in the dressing room that's fine by me.
I don't think he is or has ever been considered a trouble maker or a disturbance in the dressing room.
This article says pretty much that.
people also wonder why Burke seems so enamoured with [Kessel] who struggles to fit into the team concept
So does this one
That is all history now.
Just like Kessel's continuous improvement, ya?
who will have the next 40 goal scorer and I'll put my money on Kessel over anyone currently playing on the Senators.
How much?
This article says pretty much that.
Actually, no it doesn't. I didn't read anywhere that it said he was trouble in the dressing room. It said some teammates thought he could/should work harder or play through injuries, but that is different that causing trouble.
From the article:
One of the great frustrations teammates had with Kessel two years ago was that he tried to carry the puck too much. He adjusted last season, understanding that he was best at going up and down the wing, full-tilt.
The guy is 21 years old and he is learning how to best use his skills at the NHL level. He made an adjustment last year and it worked. He's learning and that is good. I hope he continues to learn and improve.
Actually, no it doesn't.
Actually, yes it does. Not fitting into a team concept is problematic. Cf. Heatley. Maybe he is learning to change that. Hopefully 5 years from now. But not just yet.
Where does it say that he is not liked or that he caused a disturbance? Could he be a better teammate? Sure, we can speculate that, but I do know Kessel was a key component of a team that got 116 points and if he can do that with the Leafs I'll be more than satisfied.
It's funny because the only person the article points out as having rocky relationships with teammates is Marc Savard.
Was Heatley not liked? Was he a problem in the the dressing room? There have been a number of reasons speculated upon for Heatley wanting to leave, but I have never read that he was a bad team mate and that his team mates didn't like him.
Here ya go DJ:
"Teammates." Silence. "Do you know what I'm talking about?" "No," Kessel says. He most certainly does. Kessel has a reputation for being disliked by teammates wherever he's played. Jack Johnson [...] called [Kessel] "a dirtbag" during one of his combine interviews. Silence.
That's not clear enough?
Sundin was a selfish, sleazebag captain. Kessel isn't a captain.
~THM
"[Kessel is] 'a dirtbag'"
~Jack Johnson
dirtbag == sleazebag
QED.
Maybe the problem is with Jack Johnson and not Kessel...
Not a Leafs fan, but haven't heard any gnashing of teeth in the Toronto fishwraps over Keseel. The Johnson comment was likely two young bucks marking their territory.
Either way, it would be nice for the Leafs to win a few games; will make the inevitable defeat at our hands all the sweeter.
Maybe it was Jack Johnson. Who knows. But there's some implicit correlation with evidence out of the Boston dressing room (per E. Freidman). And the objection was I don't think he is or has ever been considered a trouble maker or a disturbance in the dressing room. Well, J.J. considers it so.
I still don't see the reason, if Kessel has made all the strides people say he has, that Boston was so willing to get rid of him.
Let's suppose the worst case - Savard had given team management an ultimatum "its either him or me". Why didn't they choose Kessel?
Let's suppose the worst case - Savard had given team management an ultimatum "its either him or me". Why didn't they choose Kessel?
Why is that even a scenario? Savard hasn't even signed a new deal. That's a ridiculous concept.
Could the worst case scenario simply be that Chiarelli didn't manage his team and salaries like he should have? Did he think Kessel would play for $3M a year and then had it blow up in his face? What seems more likely, locker room drama and players saying "You or Me", or was it just a bad move by still green GM?
Since Chiarelli is from the Ottawa system I assume you would never agree it was his fault. Of course it has to be Phil Kessel, he's a Leaf, after all!
So you are drawing your conclusions that Kessel is a bad teammate because 5 years ago an 18 year old Jack Johnson called 17 year old Kessel a dirtbag? I really shouldn't need to point out that people, especially young men, generally mature a whole lot between age 17 and 22.
Chiarelli might be getting a bit nervous about trading Kessel by now.
The Bruins are 21st in the NHL. Krejci, who was signed as a priority before Kessel has 5 points.
Ya, it's only 13 games in for the Bruins, but since people are so willing to criticize Kessel before he plays one game, I figure it's only fair we look the other way right?
Boston's powerplay is also second worst in the NHL. Last year it was 4th best.
Time will tell, but I bet some Bruins fans are starting to get edgy about it. Especially if Kessel comes in and has a good first month in Toronto and helps them win a few games.
By the way, just got handed golds for tonights game.
My Kessel jersey isn't ready until tomorrow.
I'm gonna call the guy!
Did he think Kessel would play for $3M a year and then had it blow up in his face?
I suspect lots of GM's would like to have deals for 2nd liners on their teams blow up like that.
kessel will get 1st line minutes on the leafs instead of 2nd line minutes with the Broons. It also means he will get the 1st pairing D and either the top checking or top offensive forwards from the other side.
He'll get his points because he'll get lots of PP time. And so far, lots of PP time is the only reason the leafs have as many points as they do.
By the way, just got handed golds for tonights game.
Congrats Muppet!
I want to see you on Sportscentre with a "Phil - I want to have your baby!" sign.
That's good too, but I've already started drawing up:
DUFF AND THM LOVE THE LEAFS!!!
HI OTTAWA!
I can add you if you want?
kessel will get 1st line minutes on the leafs instead of 2nd line minutes with the Broons. It also means he will get the 1st pairing D and either the top checking or top offensive forwards from the other side.
That much is true.
Then again that frees up the Grabovski line, so either way Kessel presents a problem for other teams that Toronto didn't have one game ago.
Anyway, it's pretty exciting stuff. I'm a bit giddy. To be there for his first game will be memorable. Even if the score isn't...
But there's some implicit correlation with evidence out of the Boston dressing room (per E. Freidman).
Ya Freeman also said he would struggle without Savard, but now we know Kessel scored 30 goals that Savard didn't have even a 2nd assist on, so I dunno man...
Could the worst case scenario simply be that Chiarelli didn't manage his team and salaries like he should have?
That to me doesn't appear to be a likely answer, because that problem is almost always correctable (via trade, burying contracts in the minors, buying guys out, etc.). And if Kessel was as good as everyone says he is, then all of those options would have been on the table.
I might have missed it, but I didn't see any speculation of how the Bruins might move salary to make room for Kessel. I didn't see any indication that the Bruins actually wanted to sign him. Before there were any rumours of Burke's interest, there was already talk of Kessel being on the way out of Boston. One rumour even had Kessel coming to Ottawa.
Anyway, like I said, I'm sure we'll know more by Christmas. If Boston is in last place and the Leafs are in a playoff spot, then it'll be clear just how big a mistake they made in Boston. If Boston has bounced back, the Leafs are in the basement, and Kessel demands a trade, well that'll be another story...
Muppet - look at the comments in today's post. Savard assisted on 22, not 6, of Kessel's goals. And plenty more than 6 were primary assists. Unless you're aware of that and just continuing some sort of inside joke.
Commenting by HaloScan
