Game Day: When Phil meets Tyler

The Leafs are in Boston this evening and the locals are getting ready to boo.

It's been 1 year, 1 month and 9 days since Phil Kessel left Beantown for Hogtown. A first-round pick for the Bruins in 2006, Kessel spent three seasons in The Hub, racking up 66 goals and 60 assists in 222 games.

After the 2008-2009 season, in which the 21-year-old led the Bruins with a career-high 36 goals, Kessel was regarded as a cornerstone of the franchise. Unfortunately, as the summer bled into early fall, fate would turn this cornerstone into Gahden dust.

The Bruins, their visors pressed hard against the cap, could not see eye-to-eye with Kessel on a new contract. Ironically, Kessel had performed at a level his team could no longer afford in the new NHL. And set to become a free agent, in the midst of shoulder surgery, something soon became obvious: His days in Boston were over.

You know what happened next.

Brian Burke, who previously had tried to land the winger, opened the vault to the Leafs’ future and surrendered three draft picks. Two of those abstractions morphed into Tyler Seguin (first round) and Jared Knight (second round). The third will materialize next year, when the Bruins get another would-be Toronto first rounder.

The deal has been analyzed as much as the Zapruder film. Did the Leafs give up too much? Is Kessel worth two first-round picks? What prospect lurks on the grassy knoll this summer?

But at this precise moment in time, without knowing where the Leafs will finish and what the Bruins will get, a sensible observer might argue the trade is looking like the unlikeliest of NHL transactions: Everybody won.

Kessel is at the threshold of what could be an all-star campaign. He's currently tied for third in the league with 7 goals. He has 2 power play markers and 2 that gave his team a win, including one in overtime.

And as he demonstrated Tuesday against Florida, when he cranked up the engine and raced end-to-end with a highlight reel rush at the end of a shift, the guy is in remarkable shape, probably the best of his still blossoming career.

In Seguin, meanwhile, the Bruins have an 18-year-old who is widely regarded as a future star. While it's still too early to draw any direct Phil versus Tyler comparisons – the Bruins rookie may yet return to junior in the days ahead – fans for both teams have no reason to lose sleep over this trade.

As for tonight, the Leafs haven't won in Boston since October 23, 2008. If this is to change, they will need their high-priced sniper to overcome the gun-shy tendencies he's exhibited against his former team.

In short: It is time for Phil Kessel to silence the boo birds in Boston. It is time for him to fill Bruin hearts with regret.

In six games last season, Kessel picked up 1 assist. More troubling, he was -5, the worst +/- on the Leafs. But more than a year later, the psychological weight of the trade has lightened and Kessel is flanked with new teammates. (To fully appreciate just how much the Leafs have changed, check out the "Goalie Matchup" and "Scoring Leaders" on the right side of this preview. Obviously, old data was accidentally uploaded. Still, just seeing Toskala's mugshot made me panic and choke on my morning toast.)

Beyond the Kessel-Seguin intrigue, there are other players who will be facing off against former teammates, including Kris Versteeg. The Bruins are pumped. The Leafs are ready. It promises to be a special night for all involved.

PHOTO: COLIN MCCONNELL/TORONTO STAR

 

Comments

[Dennis Regan]

And our new saviour in shining blue armour will descend upon the Bruins! Let them cower from his blazing artillary! Meanwhile, back in the other end, there`s a game being played. We then forcefully repel this barrage of Bruins! The B`s are then stung and pushed back to their homely hive! Until this Sequin of sorcery twists and turns, only to leave his image tatood upon the memories of all leafland. Why did we allow his escape from our grasp, only to return with the vengeance of the gods. Again we have been burkn`kesseled!

[Moe Green]

Kessel is a special player. There are few players in the league who could have scored that goal he scored last game. All he has to do tonight is play his game with no regard for the opposition. He reminds me of Mogilny only better, smarter, faster. This guy is more than just a sniper - he is a special talent. Will Tyler be better? Maybe, but he'll have to go some to prove it. Time for Kessel to stop trying to stick it to his former team and help his new team just stick it to his former team! Time for Phil's mates to step up (I'm talking to you Chris Versteeg) and make it easy for him. To remain on a high, the Leafs have to win one of the next two games. Likely at home Saturday v the Rangers, but then again, why not tonight!

[Roman Botiuk]

Good one! No- honestly - a real knee slapper.
"In short: It is time for Phil Kessel to silence the boo birds in Boston. It is time for him to fill Bruin hearts with regret."
"Surely you can't be serious."
"I am serious, and don't call me Shirley." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airplane!

[j-rock]

I'm so tired of people moaning about this trade. It's over, and the guy is currently leading the league in goals. Clearly it is not Courtnall for Kordic part II.

P.S. This is my favourite new sports blog.

[Chad]

Kessel is a much better player this year then he was last year. He'll be fine.
But having said that, like any other player on a team, they usually only perform as the team performs. We have to be play like we did in the first 5 games of the season. Otherwise it could be a frustrating night in Beantown.
GO LEAFS!

[Randal]

"While it's still too early to draw any direct Phil versus Tyler comparisons" - No it's not. Kessel is better, the stats show that and stats don't lie. GO LEAFS GO!

[prize maple]

Let's revisit this argument next year at this time. That is, when we know who the Bruins manage to land this coming July. Any debate now is rather pointless.

[Nik Culoman]

To settle this debate....Let's compare stats between these two players over the course of their hockey careers. Kessel with no other proven scorer on the team has 7 goals and 2 assists. What does Seguin have on a team that leafs haters say is so much better?? 1 or 2 goals.....Seguin has proven nothing on the NHL level, he isn't tearing up the league like kessel did in his first year. He isn't being talked about in the realm of other great rookies.

I would take a garentee 30-40 goals a year than a maybe...Seguin is for right now a maybe...May become an after thought like Daigle and other first round sure shot picks.

This article like the other with similar vibe are pure negative writting tendencies at the Toronto Star. If we all believed what Toronto Star had to say about Mayor Ford, The Leafs, The Cops or anything else they write about you would think the world is about to end in a blaze. These writers aren't writers at all..They don't report the news because that would mean they need facts...They report bias and filtred information that only proves their point and pushes their agendas ahead.

VM Replies: Whoa! Wait a minute! Now I have a "negative" agenda? This blog is getting to be very confusing for my self-concept.

[Leafs Fan]

Kessel could score 50 goals and they wouldn't regret this trade. They were never going to resign him and weren't exactly getting great offers elsewhere yet somehow they got two first round picks from the worst team in league in the with one of the most talented draft classes ever coming up.

[Mrbill]

As good as he is, he hasn't proven to be a big game player yet, which is what really matters when you're in the playoffs. (No show in the Olympics and EVERY game against Boston). Time to step it up tonight.

[Peter]

It is Taylor Hall not Sequin we should be comparing to Kessel. The leafs notched 12 more points the the Oils last year, I argue had we not had Kessel we would have finished below Edmonton and Taken Hall 1st. Having said that I really do think Kessel is a great player and if toronto only surrenders 10-15 overall pick this year I would say that is a fairly even trade. If they were to mirror last year I don't think anyone would make that trade. Bottom line is Toronto had a good player coming their way in Kessel or Hall, either way ITS ABOUT TIME lol

[Raina]

Are you kidding, Nik? You're comparing 23 year old Kessel to 18 year old Seguin based on what -- 8 games? (actually Boston has only played 6 this season) Seriously? This is why people hate Leaf fans. How about this -- Seguin has 3 more NHL points than Kessel had at 18 AND 19 since Kessel wasn't good enough to be in the NHL until he was out of his teens. Does THAT sound fair?

[Mark]

This is ridiculous. It is virtually guaranteed that the Leafs lost this deal - the Bruins get Seguin for next-to-nothing for three years, plus the other two picks, while the Leafs paid a bit below market rate for Kessel. You can't talk about the value of a player in the NHL without considering his contract.

[K Bosley]

With the way he has been playing so far I expect a good game from Kessel tonight. Maybe more from the 2nd line since some bruins may be to focused on Kessel.

In the mean time check out http://5thlinecentre.wordpress.com/ for some leaf talk.

[Nik Culoman]

Raina.......Value of contract comes from the return on investment. If you invest $2 and get nothing in return...Or you invest $10 and make $12 which gives you the best value?? Seguin sure doesn't count much towards the cap in comparison to Kessel..However Kessel has 7 goals to Seguin's 1. Kessel came off a serious shoulder injury almost 20 games into last season and still scored 30+ goals without the benefit of training camp.

So what if the investment is large, if you are getting a return. Kessel is a def. goal scorer even without a star centre like Savard. He scores goals by the dozens, and he is only 23 years old. We aren't talking about an aging vet, this kid is still not at his prime...He is a primier scorer, Every team would line up if Kessel ever came up on the trade block.

Kessel even had impressive numbers in the minors, and in University. Everywhere this kid went he has excelled. He was drafted 5th in a draft behind Ovechkin and Crosby, may have finished higher had he had a better final year in University where there was an issue with the coach.

Burke paid to get Kessel....But we as Leaf fans and hockey fans in general enjoy watching his goals...The goal against Florida at the end of a huge shift where he blew past wideman is just the cusp of what he can do.

[Brent]

Kessel is a sniper, fast skating but one dimensional player. He will score 35-40 goals this year but will disappear for a month or so, usually against the teams that are good defensively and are very tough physically. Who knows where the Leafs end up this year and what position the Bruins will be drafting from this year? It could be one of those trades that works out for both teams. It also will take years to analyze the career of the player the Bruins do get in the draft, how Seguin does and how Kessel does. Let it play out.

[Justin]

The deal was Kessel for Seguin, Knight, 2011 first rounder & another player the Leafs could have had for Kessels' cap space. Look I like Kessel. The fact is Boston WAS NOT GOING TO SIGN HIM. His trade value should of been a little lower.. The Leafs can't get full value for guys that they have signed & play everyday!

[Peter]

I agree with Brent. Why is it that Mccabe goes for Van Ryn, Kaberle cant field a decent offer. Why does it seem the leafs have to give up so much when it doesnt seem like we get it in return when we want to trade a guy coming up as a U or RFA.

I blame the cap for the leafs problems over the past 5 years. Toronto overpaid players and it didn't matter because we had the money to do it. If they had warned us the cap was coming do u think the leafs would have had guys like domi, renberg and reichel on such large contracts? I know bad contracts were signed after the cap but that was fergusons fault, I think if there was a 3-4 year warning period before the cap was placed Toronto would have worked on prospects a little more and changed their ways from relying on the dollars spent to lure highly paid free agent vetrans

[Pyramid Power]

Hope Gus has a huge game for us, and we get to TT in Boston. Rask not playing which makes me happy. I hope.

Will be interesting to see how a matured, in excellent shape Kessel does against Boston tonight. He was so snakebitten against the Bruins last year missing so many many chances. I think he has a great shot at scoring 50 this year, and scoring against Boston will be imperative.

Will be interesting to see how
Toronto lad Seguin does against the team he worshipped as a youngster playing for Rick Vaive and the Toronto Young Nats. Talk of him going back to the OHL after nine games. Don't think that will happen though.
Versteeg looks to be out with a back injury which is not good news. Hope Caputi has a big game replacing Army.
Everybody needs to come to play tonight especially Gustavsson. Play tight defensively, get good goaltending and the first goal and we can win this game against a solid Bruins team.
Sturm and Savard out for Boston, but a big happy Chara awaits us along with a tough Bruin blueline.
Should be a great game.
GO LEAFS GO!

[Raina]

Yes Nik, you're comparing a three year VETERAN to a ROOKIE who has played 6 games. Nice way to cherry pick the circumstances to compare them. How about we compare how Seguin has done in his first six games this season against how Kessel did in the first six games of LAST season? Oh wait -- Kessel didn't play in the first six games last season. I guess that means that Seguin is better. How about we compare their first seasons in total? Seguin has three in six games. Kessel got 23 in his ENTIRE first season. I'd be willing to bet that Seguin will manage another 20 in 70+ games. So again, Seguin is better. How about we compare how many NHL points they get in their teens? So far Seguin has 3 and Kessel had zero. Again, Seguin wins. It's stupid to compare apples to oranges -- especially when you're forgetting that to get that "apple", not only did they have to give up an orange this year, but one again next year (along with a pretty good one at 32nd of last year's draft). Anyone with any sense has acknowledged that it's too soon to compare the two -- except you, of course.

The only way that "immediate dividends" even makes the slightest bit of sense is if people actually believe that Kessel is the final piece of a Stanley Cup puzzle.

(and so far with Kessel's disappearing act in the Olympics and any meaningful games, it's a good thing that he's not the final piece of a Stanley Cup puzzle, because the disappointed fan would find the piece missing.)

[Pyramid Power]

The Kessel deal debate will rage for years. This Leafs fan is tired of debating it. We will see how it works out in a few years.
I do sometimes wonder if Burke had made a play for Toronto lad Mike Cammalleri and signed him we could have had Seguin. A little regretful about that, but we will see what we will see down the road.
Who doesn't have regrets? Brian Burke? Of course he does being the intelligent man he is. I imagine Burke would do the deal again in a second. IN BURKE WE TRUST!
Game time.
GO LEAFS GO!