With the Leafs flying high, forget the “rumours”: would you, if you were Dave Nonis, trade our man Kessel?

It would be interesting to know how many words have written about the “Phil Kessel trade” with the Bruins.  As some of you well know, I’ve opined on this subject on more than one occasion myself here at VLM.  I’ve tried to assess things non-emotionally, and from what I hope is a reasonable and balanced perspective.  While  I recognize that many Leaf fans just want us all to “move on”, and stop harping on who and what the Bruins have (a Cup, and Seguin and Hamilton for years to come…) from that big deal, to me, trades, as I’ve mentioned here previously, are part of what most fans love to dissect—before and after the fact. It’s a huge part of the fun of being a fan.  My guess is when Leaf fans say “stop talking about it, it’s over” they are really saying we “lost” the trade.  And I’m not sure there was a winner and a loser in the big swap.  Both sides got what they wanted—the Bruins simply got even more than they bargained for, you might say.

But today I’m not interested in going over old trades again.  This is always your forum, and I am particularly seeking you input today, as fellow Leaf observers.   We all know that Kessel has brought a lot to the Leafs in the last three plus seasons—plenty of goals and more than that, some legitimate excitement on the ice for a team (and their fans) that hasn’t been much to cheer about over the past eight years or so. 

Many nights he is one of the most dangerous guys (if not the most dangerous) on the ice for either team.  Those who follow my musings here at VLM know my longstanding view on Phil:  whether he scores or not in any given game (nothing for 10 games this season, then the game-winner in Winnipeg and another in Montreal Saturday night), to me, he plays pretty much the same every night.  The only difference is that, some nights, the puck finds a home in the back of the net; other times, it misses by an inch, a foot, or hits the crossbar, whatever.  Does that sometimes fraction of an “inch” really mean he is “playing” any better or worse?  He's really playing better if the puck happens to go in?  I don’t think so. 

Oh, his overall game is maybe a bit better at times.  But I don’t think he has ever been a total defensive “floater” here in Toronto.  Like most offensively gifted players who are more prone to be interested in scoring and making plays (who isn’t?) than doing the dirty work, he does the occasional fly-by in the defensive zone, but also, when motivated, makes sure he comes back in dangerous situations.  He’s fast enough to get back most of the time before damage is done.  To me, he is most like a fish out of water when his line is trapped in its own zone, and he is not quite sure what to do.  But he’s not alone in this regard.  He’s not a physical player who is going to change the flow of a game by blocking a shot or running a guy over very often.

But he has been an electric player at times, and with better, well, let’s just say an opportunity to play with similarly gifted guys (as his success with Lupul seems to attest) his ceiling in terms of offensive production is probably even higher than what we have seen here. (In some ways he's a bit like Mats Sundin for Leaf fans.  I admit I was slow to warm up to Sundin, but over time I saw his value more and more to a franchise that relied heavily on his skills, durability, leadership and ability to make those around him better.  Not sure Phil has quite all of those traits, but he may end up being one of those players that fans look back and appreciate more after he's gone...)

In any event, all this said, we’ve all heard the “rumours” that are out there about Kessel—that Nonis is quietly, very quietly, putting the word out that Kessel could be available in the “right” deal. 

This is something we’ve touched on in this space on occasion, not as a way of bashing Kessel or suggesting we should get rid of him, but simply in the context of wondering aloud whether he will want to stay and sign here as a UFA (assuming he does not re-up with the Leafs beforehand) when he becomes a free-agent in the summer of 2014, I think it is.

If the Leafs don’t feel as though Kessel genuinely wants to stay and play here (not that he would tip his hand, even privately), it would of course behoove them to get something for him while he is still such a valuable properly.  And the timing would not necessarily just be before at the trade deadline in 2014 before he hits free-agency.  Presumably the organization would want to move him to a team that could have him in the lineup for the rest of this season and all of next year, before looming free-agency.  Surely that would allow the Leafs to get a lot more in return than for a mere “rental”.

In any event, I’m interested in your views.  This isn’t about whether you “like” Kessel as a Maple Leaf.  Set that aside for today.  Is your view that we need to keep Kessel (at all costs, cap-wise?) and build in addition to him, Lupul, van Riemsdyk, etc.?  Or are you of the school of thought that leads you to believe we need to move Phil when we could still get a lot (assuming we can) for him?

A year ago, some fans would have traded Kessel for Rick Nash even up.  I’m one of those who more thinks that the idea is to add elite players into the lineup if and when possible as opposed to simply replacing one with another player who will do much the same thing.

Where do you sit? 

Again, I don’t care about the supposed rumours.  I’m neither trying to stoke the fires or just react to those reports.  I’m simply wondering if, regardless of whether the Leafs actually are (or could soon be) in trade discussions about Kessel, whether they should be?

Let me know your thoughts—and why you feel the way you do.

**

Missed some recent VLM posts?  If you'd like to catch up...

• What I've noticed about Randy Carlyle

• Speaking of trades, how some recent ex-Leafs are doing these days

• Why I'd like to get rid of "no complaints, no excuses"

• Are the Leafs finally team tough?