October 15, 2009.
The Leafs are off to their worst start in years and a lot of people are beginning to wonder if we overpaid for Phil Kessel, however I beg to differ.
The deal went down as follows: Toronto sent three draft picks to Boston in exchange for the rights to Kessel; a 1st and 2nd round pick for the 2010 NHL entry draft, as well as a 1st round pick for the 2011 entry draft. Shortly after the trade was completed, they signed Kessel to a 5 year $27 million contract.
We seem to have forgotten that this kid was touted to be one of the “Next Ones” during his junior career. He was such a fantastic junior player that pro scouts were even ranking him as a prospect comparable to the likes of Sid the Kid (Sidney Crosby) back in ‘04-’05. During that season he scored 98 points in 47 games as a member of the under 18 Development Program in the North American Hockey League. After missing the NHL entry draft by just one month, Kessel was forced to play one more season before being drafted, so he joined the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the University of Minnesota. Unfortunately as a freshman he was slotted in as a third line player with limited ice time, but he still managed to net 51 points with a +22 rating in 39 games. Later that year he was drafted 5th overall by the Boston Bruins.
After making the jump to the NHL, Phil Kessel has been steadily improving. Going from just 11 goals and 39 points in his rookie season, to 36 goals and 60 points in his third year with the Bruins. As the newest member of the rebuilding Maple Leafs, I wouldn’t expect him to continue to build on those numbers this year. We all know that the Leafs are a weaker offensive squad than the Boston Bruins, not to mention the fact that he won’t be paired with a player like Marc Savard in this lineup.
However that’s not the issue. The main issue is whether or not the Toronto Maple Leafs gave up too much of their future to acquire Phil Kessel; and at the age of 21 (turning 22 at the end of October), Kessel can only get better, not to mention he fits into the Leafs rebuilding process perfectly. I mean let’s face it, the kid’s already proven he can score at the NHL level when paired with a solid playmaker. Therefore, Burke's next focus should be on acquiring a playmaker of equal calibre that can read the development of the play and get Kessel the puck in the right places.
Yes two firsts and a second round pick can look pricey on paper, but not when you consider the fact that the Leafs cleaned up in the off season picking up talent such as Stalberg, Bozak, Hanson, and Gustavsson. Arguably all of those players would require first round, or second round picks if they had been entered into any of the recent NHL entry drafts.
Moving forward, if the Leafs want Kessel to score 30+ goals again anytime soon, they will need to refrain from committing the “Sundin Curse” a second time around. If you’re unsure of what I am referring to, it’s simply that the Leafs are well known for suffocating Sundin’s career on a roster that provided him with no equal talent to make a Stanley Cup run. Also known as, get Kessel a top notch setup man to play with because Stajan doesn’t cut it. Until they acquire that player, Kessel isn’t going to look like he’s worth the $5.4 million per season we’re paying him, but that’s not his fault. We’ll just have to wait and see what the next 8 to 12 months brings under the Burke regime, but I am confident that Burke understand this need and will do what is necessary to fill it. Whether that be making a deal on or before the trade deadline, or signing a unrestricted free agent come July 1st, one way or another he will find someone.
Of course let’s not forget about Nazem Kadri who appears ready to be a part of the big club next year. That’s just another piece of the puzzle that seems primed to fall into place around the right time, not to mention a whole other discussion topic.
All in all, when dissecting Burkies moves since taking over the team, I would have to say the puzzle is starting to come together. Of course based on the beginning to this season a lot of people would say otherwise. As a die hard fan, I will tell the rest of you to have faith; Burke knows what he’s doing. Plus we all knew coming into this season that we’re in a rebuilding process and it’s going to take time. Personally I like the steps the Leafs have taken this off season in rebuilding their once overly depleted youth. It’s good to see them moving in the right direction again and filling the minors with up and coming talent to be excited about. It seems as though they are sticking to their strategy of building from the ground up.
Greg has just started WeWantaCup.com in hopes of growing this into an unofficial fan union. One day I hope we will be able to grow large enough to gain recognition in media streams and become THE go to place to voice your opinion about the club. It is my goal to be heard and hopefully help influence some changes within the organization so we can bring another Stanley Cup back to one of the most prestigious teams in the NHL.
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