Quote:
Originally Posted by jhonny
I didn't think it would get all the attention... I will back off the Leaf player threads moving forward; however, my bong ammo will be of no desire when Kessel is a 30 year old just coming off his career best 84 point season. I am shocked to see the strong type casting for a kid that hasn't burned off his baby fat yet. Though I agree my predictions are bold and obviously against the grain. And when we talk upside, what is the percentage of folks that actually hit it? To say 70 is his upside is low... to say 90 is high... so no one out there thinks Kessel will ever hit 80. OK... I just disagree.
|
Jhonny, I don't think you should back off from Leaf player threads, far from it, keep them coming. There is nothing personal about these exchanges regarding Kessel, the reality is that he is somewhat of a polarizing player due to his reputation for being relatively one-dimensional and not a "character" player (some of these may admittedly be somewhat unfair characterizations) and also because he was the centerpiece of that huge trade. My opinion is that he has the TALENT to have upside of 80-90 points, but as I posted previously, I just don't think that he'll ever come close to that unless he is surrounded by elite talent and isn't the go-to guy for his team (I think given his character he would not thrive where he is the focal point of an offense). For sure, he may hit 80 points at some point in his career, and possibly (although unlikely) even without elite talent surrounding him, but most of us don't seem to think he can get there anytime soon.
It's kind of like the thread I posted months ago about whether an NHL GM, right NOW, would trade Kessel for Seguin or vice versa. Unfortunately some Leaf fans took that as an attack on Burke, the Leafs, Kessel, etc., where honestly it was just a comparison between two young players as we often seek to do on these threads. There is clearly some sensitivity when it comes to discussing Kessel, mainly due to that gigantic trade that brought him to the Leafs.
