Penguins/NHL
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If Phil Kessel had his way, he’d be playing for the Arizona Coyotes or Vegas Golden Knights when the puck drops for the 2019-2020 season.
It’s the worst kept secret around the NHL. That’s where he wants to go which has led to the Golden Knights and Coyotes emerging as the two primary teams the Kessel camp has been trying to get the table to negotiate a trade with the Penguins.
Arizona as reported yesterday has been very slow moving in the process and they’re not really a factor at this point, though, [hide] some around the league believe they eventually will be for the right price. Pittsburgh also isn’t jumping up and down at the prospect of doing a deal with the Coyotes.
Where there’s certainly disappointment among the Kessel camp and even among the Penguins brass I’m told is Pittsburgh missing the opportunity to trade Kessel to Vegas last season.
TSN Bob McKenzie reported this week on his Bobcast, Vegas had very “strong” interest in Kessel during the 2018-2019 season but as McKenzie notes that ship is believed to have sailed after the Golden Knights acquired Mark Stone at the deadline and signed Stone to a mega-deal.
Stone instead of Kessel is a major win for Vegas at the end of the day but could Vegas still revisit for Kessel?
Rumblings are Vegas attempted to acquire Kessel in late January 2019 with an offer believed to be centered around center Cody Eakin and possibly defenseman Colin Miller going to Pittsburgh as the primary pieces involved in the deal.
It sounds like Pittsburgh gave it a hard thought but eventually came to the decision to wait until the summer. They’ve now likely lost a suitor.
As of today on May 31st, Pittsburgh is dead-set on keeping the Kessel for Jason Zucker deal in play until Zucker is either a Penguin via Kessel changing his mind/and or a revised offer or until Zucker is traded elsewhere.
That has them slow playing talks with others and it’s a reason word is starting to come out from top NHL insiders like Pierre LeBrun who now claim if Kessel doesn’t change his mind on Minnesota, the Penguins are saying they’re willing to keep Kessel (something they really don’t want to do).
It’s a game of chicken.
Vegas, though, is intriguing if they circle back with a similar offer. Don’t rule out the power of Newport Sports in putting trades together.
Vegas needs to create cap space and while an Eakin ($3.85 million cap hit through 2019-2020), Miller ($3.875 million through 2021-2022) for Kessel deal doesn’t create much, this was a trade scenario the Penguins looked at in January they should still be willing to look at and the same for Vegas.
Eakin a player the Penguins really like, had 22 goals last season and would give Pittsburgh a two-way No. 3 center presence and make Nick Blugstad a full-time right winger so there would be a little bit of a domino effect.
Some don’t like the term on Miller’s contract but he moves the puck well, can get you 40 points and he’s a cheaper alternative to Justin Schultz if you make a move their or he gives you options if Kris Letang eventually gets traded.
For Vegas there would be little not to like in adding Kessel to that group.
As for the cap? There would still be some wiggle room where Vegas could move the David Clarkson contract elsewhere and fit William Karlsson in while also adding Kessel. [/hide]
