Former Bruins 1st rounder back in the rumour mill; does a reunion in Boston make sense?
The Boston Bruins are expected to be Stanley Cup contenders once again this year, which means they will almost certainly be buyers at the NHL's March 21st trade deadline.
There are plenty of intriguing options available on the trade market, but perhaps none with a better risk/reward ratio than former Bruins first round pick Phil Kessel.
Kessel, 34, is a two-time Stanley Cup winner who is reportedly available at 50% retained for a VERY reasonable price. During a recent article from The Athletic's Corey Pronman, the writer ran some fan trade proposals past NHL executives in a game of "who says no?". One of the proposals was Kessel at 50% retained back to Pittsburgh for Alex Nylander and a 2nd rounder. The exec's response was quite informative.
"Penguins say no, almost zero percent chance you get a second-round pick for Phil Kessel. The Coyotes have offered him around for a third-round pick while retaining 50 percent and haven't gotten a buyer yet."
If the ask is truly a 3rd rounder for the pending UFA at 50% retained, the potential reward fair outweighs the risk in my opinion. Kessel may not be a kid anymore, but he certainly has some gas left in the tank. He still possesses his trademark blazing speed and a rocket of a wrister.
Could a return to where it all started be in the cards for Kessel?
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