With Nothing to Lose, Canadiens Should Sign Phil Kessel
The Montreal Canadiens acquired Patrik Laine to boost the offense. At 26, the former 40-goal scorer would be one of the “older” players in the lineup until he was taken out of action after a knee-on-knee collision on Saturday night.
In one of the best-case scenarios, he’ll be back in 2025, and his $8.7 million salary will transfer to LTIR.
Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes could shop the trade market to find a suitable replacement since no real impact free-agent forwards are left on the market.
Regarding skaters on PTOs with other teams, Montreal has already employed several players, such as Max Pacioretty (Toronto), Mike Hoffman (Edmonton), and Tanner Pearson (Vegas).
However, one veteran, Phil Kessel, was once steadfast in maintaining his Ironman streak. But, according to a recent report by The Score via Insider Trading, the three-time Stanley Cup champion will give up his consecutive games streak to play again.
Believe it or not, Kessel would be an excellent pick-up for the Canadiens, who could use another guy who can score 10 to 20 goals.
He hasn’t skated since winning his third title with the Vegas Golden Knights in June 2023, but he’s a proven winner with 992 points in 1,286 games and 83 points in 100 playoff games
No one in the Montreal lineup has played over 1,000 games, let alone come close to 1,000 points. Moreover, no one has three Stanley Cup titles and 12 seasons of 20 or more goals.
The kids like Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky could all benefit from Kessel, who also has 119 goals and 214 assists on the power play. Considering all the factors in signing Kessel, one of the top reasons to ink him is he’d come at a steeply discounted price.
Moreover, he could have one more magical season and ride off into the sunset, surpassing 1,000 points while passing on valuable knowledge and experience to the NHL’s second-youngest team.
It all sounds ridiculous to say out loud, even more so to commit words to an article, but there are crazier things said and done every day. If Montreal brought Kessel aboard, they might be grilled on social media, but if he collec
No one in the Montreal lineup has played over 1,000 games, let alone come close to 1,000 points. Moreover, no one has three Stanley Cup titles and 12 seasons of 20 or more goals.
The kids like Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky could all benefit from Kessel, who also has 119 goals and 214 assists on the power play. Considering all the factors in signing Kessel, one of the top reasons to ink him is he’d come at a steeply discounted price.
Moreover, he could have one more magical season and ride off into the sunset, surpassing 1,000 points while passing on valuable knowledge and experience to the NHL’s second-youngest team.
It all sounds ridiculous to say out loud, even more so to commit words to an article, but there are crazier things said and done every day. If Montreal brought Kessel aboard, they might be grilled on social media, but if he collects 30-40 points, it’s a stop-gap measure for a team now missing a second-line sniper and could use a boost in their bottom six.
Of course, fans will want prospects to see their names moved up the lineup, but 2024-25 is supposed to be another step forward. If Hughes continues to fill the lineup with inexperienced kids learning on the fly, there will be no forward progress; instead, Montreal will be stuck in neutral for another 12 months.
ts 30-40 points, it’s a stop-gap measure for a team now missing a second-line sniper and could use a boost in their bottom six.
Of course, fans will want prospects to see their names moved up the lineup, but 2024-25 is supposed to be another step forward. If Hughes continues to fill the lineup with inexperienced kids learning on the fly, there will be no forward progress; instead, Montreal will be stuck in neutral for another 12 months.
