The Nashville Predators have reportedly put forth an offer to the Boston Bruins for Phil Kessel. According to NESN.com, the Preds have offered a 1st round pick, the rights to Alexander Radulov, and a top defensive prospect. It’s hard to rate this potential trade considering we don’t know who the defensive prospect is. Obviously if it’s their best defensive prospect, then it’s a better deal than their 2nd or 3rd best prospect. Trading for Radulov is also risky as who knows if/when he’ll be coming back to the NHL, but when he was here, he showed great offensive talents. I’m sure there is a clause in the offer that says Kessel has to sign a contract for the deal to become final. By the sounds of it, Kessel would rather sign in Toronto over Nashville.
The same article says the the Leafs may also throw in a prospect/player to go along with the 2 1sts and 2nd round pick. It’s also mentioned that the Burke might be considering an offer sheet if the Bruins don’t accept an offer this weekend. If an offer sheet was matched, the Bruins would have to move out some salary quickly; Chuck Kobasew, Andrew Ference, and maybe Tuukka Rask (back the minors), would have to be moved out. If an offer sheet was matched, I bet the salary cap implications would be a lot trickier for future years, especially if the cap is going to drop $4-7 million next year.
Minnesota has signed Petr Sykora so they are most likely not interested in trading for Kessel anymore. The NY Rangers are reportedly out as well.
#1 by Josh at September 18th, 2009
If Chiarelli is foolish enough to entertain this offer from Nashville, then he deserves everything he gets. Kessel won’t sign with Nashville. All Chiarelli is doing is insulting Brian Burke, who has made a fair offer, and is growing impatient. Everyone seems to be forgetting that a restricted free agent is still a FREE AGENT, an that this one wants to be in Toronto. All this messing around is gonna hurt Boston in the long run. What happens if Kessel signs an offer sheet right before the October 1st cap deadline? What kind of magic does Chiarelli think he’s going to work then?
#2 by Mark at September 18th, 2009
He won’t wait until the 30th to get this situation resolved. He knows that Burke could sign Kessel to an offer sheet then, and he’d have a trouble unloading salaries in a day. Unless he has the deals in place beforehand.
He’s stalling because he doesn’t want to trade Kessel within the division, which could bite him in the ass if Kessel becomes an all-star and the picks he acquired turn into busts. Burke knows all this, and by saying he might put in an offer sheet soon, he’s putting more pressure on Chiralli to do a deal quicker than he’d like. Chiralli may hope that Kessel gains more interest in teams other than the Leafs.
He was never in a rush to move Kessel, as he’s still recovering from surgery.
#3 by Andy at September 18th, 2009
I think they’ll want to dump him to Toronto if the price is right. Maybe a couple of prospects like Stalberg and Bozak which in my opinion would work out really well considering I think Stalberg is just that good.
But if they are thinking a three way deal the B’s would probably consider Dubinsky in that Dubinsky is a left handed shot which the B’s only have two and could use one more and seems to be their perennial nagging concern.
I however do agree with Josh on one point. Chiarelli’s being awfully cavalier with a free agent. The offer sheet from Toronto might be scary good. And with how eager Burke is, it wouldn’t surprise me.
Even Nashville being involved isn’t bad considering that Radulov is talented IF and thats a big IF will come to the B’s. Kid’s got great hands.
#4 by Mark at September 18th, 2009
Sure Dubinsky might be a good fit, but I don’t think the B’s want another unsigned RFA.
In the end, I think he’ll end up in Toronto as it’ll be the only place he’ll sign. No team will trade for him, even if they offer more the the Leafs and a better deal for the Bruins, if he won’t sign with that team.
Though I guess a team could trade for him, then flip him to the Leafs for 2 1st and a 2nd (or whatever deal the Leafs have offered) if they feel the picks are better than what they’ve have to give the Bruins to get him.
#5 by Mike at September 18th, 2009
Kessel for a 1st rounder and bozak and stalberg? NO.
Bozak will be a 70-80pt man, 25 goals, Stalberg will be a 60-70pt man , 30 goals. NO WAY, at that rate they should leave Kessel in Boston, or let him go to Nashville where hockey is on the 11th page. The same speed Kessel posses, we have with Kadri and the skill level is there as well with Kadri, we just need to give him another year or two. Let’s not mess this up, I’d rather Burke just throw in the offer sheet and see what happens and if we miss, we miss, and he’s stuck with the Bruins, a team that he knows tried to trade him several times. See how that works out.
#6 by Tony at September 18th, 2009
Chiarelli has had plenty of time to sign Kessel, which he has shown no indication of wanting to do. Now, the time is running out on trading him, as Burke has been MORE than open and up front about his pursuit of Kessel since Day One. At this point, I honestly feel that Boston NEEDS to be jumping at an offer that lands two first round picks for Kessel. Within hours, those picks will stay with Toronto, and Phil will be wearing Maple Leaf Blue And White anyways. The team wants the player, the player wants the team, and the team can afford to front load a LARGE contract, making it impossible for Boston to match. Would Chiarelli match an offer sheet that has Kessel make upwards of 8 or 9 million dollars this season alone? This is how Burke operates, and he’s winning…
#7 by James at September 18th, 2009
Sorry Andy but Bozak and Stalberg are staying in Toronto. They both have the potential to be better than Kessel.