Phil Kessel sweepstakes getting hot: 2 former teams amongst 3 contenders in the running!

The March, 21 st trade deadline could be the moment when Phil Kessel finally gets out of Arizona… Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong reportedly defined the direction that his team is going in and it is believed it will not include Kessel. The veteran forward, who is in the final year of his contract, is looking for a fresh start and is hoping to head to a contender.

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild have been linked to Kessel.

He once was linked to the Bruins by Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now, who thought Kessel could be the missing piece of the puzzle in Boston.

After a disappointing debut campaign for the Coyotes in 2019-20, Kessel bounced back in 2020-21 and put up 20 goals and 43 points in just 56 games. So far this season, he’s tallied 6 goals and 33 points in 50 games. Of course, that’s a far cry from the 30+ goals and 90+ points he was putting up during his time with the Penguins, but there’s reason to believe that Kessel still has the skill to produce points and could provide help on middle-six scoring for those interested teams.

The issue is that Kessel comes at a high price with his $6.8 million cap hit and teams could only make it work if the Coyotes agree to retain some of his salary. (Kessel’s cap hit is $8 million but the Coyotes carry $6.8 million while the Toronto Maple Leafs retain $1.2 million.)

If Kessel is interested in getting traded to Boston, this would be a reunion as the veteran forward would return where it all started as the Bruins selected him fifth overall in the 2006 NHL Draft. The same could be said of a reunion with the Penguins if ever the rumour is true. Kessel was traded to Pittsburgh by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer of 2015, and won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the team in 2016 and 2017.

Where do you want to see Kessel continue his career? With a new team like the Wild, or back with a former club like Boston or Pittsburgh?