Comments for Bruins Trade Kessel to Leafs For Picks at http://hockey.dobbersports.com , comment 1 to 8 out of 8 comments http://hockey.dobbersports.com Thu, 23 May 2013 17:55:27 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/2244-bruins-trade-kessel-to-leafs-for-picks#comment-1484 having seen all 4 Leaf pre-season games,i can guarantee that Wallin will not be a top 6 forward,there is plenty of competition for those spots,in fact i wouldn't be surprised if Wallin doesn't even crack the line-up or at least not as an everyday player.I seriously doubt Allison will stick either,i actually like the guy but Wilso n stated that if he couldn't be a top 6 forward then there was no need to keep him and i don't think he's shown enough so far(the leafs do have 5 more games to play) - David Arnold Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:49:43 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/2244-bruins-trade-kessel-to-leafs-for-picks#comment-1482 Not very often one can spin things so that parting with a young commodity like Kessel is a positive. Marco Sturm missed most of last season and given the opportunity can threaten 30-30. Ryder should be a similar 30-30. Lucic should continue to mature. Recchi needs opportunity. Wheeler & Kobasew need more opportunity. Three good centres. Lots of interesting pups that need room for opportunity. This helps them. At first glance it does appear that parting with Kessel can be good. I wonder though, if he becomes a 70 point guy for a decade, whether it will look as good at the end of the deal. - Jocular Hockey Manager Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:26:56 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/2244-bruins-trade-kessel-to-leafs-for-picks#comment-1480 I think this affects the numbers of the rest of the Boston wingers. The two months Kessel was going to miss doesn't matter, but for the rest of the season that's a lot of PP minutes that will go to the other wingers which will lead to greater production. - sentium Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:11:55 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/2244-bruins-trade-kessel-to-leafs-for-picks#comment-1479 I agree with Darcy Sulz, no way Boston matches the offer sheet. $5.4 would put them too far above the CAP (probably $4 million). They would have to start making drastic changes. At least 3 players would have to be dropped to the minors or traded away for nothing to compensate. Way too much risk for a 2011 first round pick vs. a 2011 third round pick. Dont forget, they still have 3 signed players (Whitfield, Boychuk and Sabourin) which they have not released their cap hit for (nhlnumbers.com). - paul faure Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:44:11 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/2244-bruins-trade-kessel-to-leafs-for-picks#comment-1477 As a (long suffering) Leafs fan, I like this deal for Toronto. Sure, the asking price was high, but Phil was a high first rounder who has progressed in each of his first 3 seasons. The Leafs will likely not be a lottery draft team this year or next, as Burke will deliver on his promise to ice a reasonably competitive team in Toronto. As for attitude and injury concerns, he's still only 21...and the 11 games he missed 2 years ago were as a result of cancer. Good on him for coming back after that ordeal. It should be noted Kess was voted by his own teammates as the B's candidate for the Bill Masterton award back in '07, an award he went on to win. The award is for the NHL player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey". I'm hoping he grows up in Toronto, under the tutelage of both Wilson and Burke, and that he fulfills the promise that once made him the 2nd best junior prospect behind Sidney Crosby. Maybe this deal does for Toronto what the Brett Hull trade did for St. Louis way back when (well, they never did win a Cup...but Hull went on to become one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history). Or maybe it becomes a Kurvers-for (essentially) -Neidermeyer-type bust. (And maybe the Bruins end up taking guys like Scott Thornton, Rob Pearson and Steve Bancroft with their 3 high picks in the next couple of years). The easy part is done, now the hard part for Burke and the Leafs' braintrust...to turn Kess into a perennial 40-goal scorer. - Mark Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:51:46 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/2244-bruins-trade-kessel-to-leafs-for-picks#comment-1476 Leafs obviously get stronger goal scoring now. It also gives them a chance to stash prospects in the minors to really develop. Meanwhile all the guys on T.O. get to showcase their talent all year long for deadline trades. Given Toronto's core (anyone under contract past this season) Burke can deal a lot while still making the playoffs given the style he likes to go with on his rosters, 2 lines of skaters and 2 lines of checkers. If you look at the leafs salary commitments past this year, they have A LOT of room. If they make the play-offs this year (and they now have a better shot) their pick would not be that good, and would also be more enticing to free-agents on which they will have a ton of room to spend. Factor that with the CAP expected to go down and they are sitting pretty with their core intact while a lot of other teams will have to deal or let UFAs and RFAs walk, which Toronto can sign at their leisure. Honestly look at the numbers and you will see that almost every mediocre or fringe player is off the books at the end of the season, and Toronto will have a lot of prime talent ready to fill those gaps. I HATE that they gave up the two 1sts on principle, but, it really does not hurt them if you can see the opportunity around the corner. Burke is brash but not stupid, and he is seeing a bigger picture past this year. It is just "good" or rather easy PRESS for the media to jump on and fill column inches with. Meanwhile, Boston gets two first this year and two firsts next, and have most of their core tied up till the end of next season, and also dump some over-paid and some over-the-hill players. Plus they will have an over-flowing cupboard in terms of prospects. Or they can deal prospects and picks alone at the Draft and move into contention for top picks. All the options in the world. They could in effect finish very deep in the playoffs in the next two years, and still in both years trade UP and draft elite talent. There really is no bad in this deal if you break it down. As a Leaf fan I would definitely have preferred to sign Kessel through an offer sheet, but, it helps Burke avoid that stigma because no one in the old boys club likes being poached, and helps everyone save face and stay of good terms. No one wins, no one really loses. - Jon Dey Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:42:10 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/2244-bruins-trade-kessel-to-leafs-for-picks#comment-1471 Dobber - "Why didn't the Leafs try an offer sheet?" - because Burke and his ego didn't want to be a hypocrite and they paid dearly for it. They'd have saved a bundle on an offer sheet IMO, and I don't think Chiarelli would have matched it given their cap situation. - Darcy Sulz Sat, 19 Sep 2009 06:37:11 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/2244-bruins-trade-kessel-to-leafs-for-picks#comment-1470 Hey Dobber- I haven't heard any news on wallin lately and was wondering how he's looked in leafs camp thus far. Do you still think he can crack a top 6 role this season? Anything change from what has been said about him in the guide? Much appreciated. cheers - Rob Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:39:29 +0100