The Top 5 Landing Spots for NHL Free-Agent Winger Phil Kessel

The Top 5 Landing Spots for NHL Free-Agent Winger Phil Kessel0 of 5

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If there’s one player we’ve been missing out on watching this season, it’s Phil Kessel.

It’s not just because of the memories we have of him being a dynamite offensive weapon but also how he feels like one of us: He plays hard and loves the game.

However, the 36-year-old hasn’t played anywhere this season. And with the trade deadline coming up and teams in desperate search of help anywhere they can find it, it’s time for him to return to the NHL and perhaps shine one more time.

Kessel helped Vegas win the Stanley Cup last season, although he didn’t get a lot of play in the postseason (just four games). But he’s won the trophy before in Pittsburgh, he’s a veteran player with a storied history and could be a valuable figure for a team with Cup aspirations this season.

There may be concerns about his conditioning and how quickly it would take him to get up to speed, but landing a player with his ability for the stretch run and the playoffs could prove to be valuable.

Who could use Kessel most? We’ve picked out a few suggestions to go along with the rumored destinations.

Vancouver Canucks1 of 5

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One team that has been mentioned in connection with Kessel is the Vancouver Canucks.

Rick Dhaliwal said on Donnie & Dhali – The Team last week that they have been keeping in touch about Kessel, and he noted that the winger and Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet know each other well and that’s a reason to believe something could work out.

The Canucks are looking for some scoring help to give them depth beyond JT Miller, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser for the playoffs. A veteran such as Kessel could give their lineup a boost.

A key to any team signing the veteran winger will be how close they are to winning the Cup because, let’s face it, why would he want to get back to playing with a team that wasn’t aiming to go deep into the playoffs or possibly fall short of the postseason? Vancouver is going to be in the playoffs, and it’s built like a team that has a real shot to win it all.

It’s not rocket science here. Kessel could give the Canucks the depth they’ll need to get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2011.

Edmonton Oilers2 of 5

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The Edmonton Oilers are a team that seems close to being prepared for the playoffs, but it’s always their depth that causes them issues in the end.

If they added Kessel to their forward group, it would give them a veteran who has the experience of going deep in the postseason and has the kind of ability and attitude to adapt to how they’d need to use him.

The Oilers added Corey Perry to help address some of those depth questions, but if Kessel was also added to their forward corps, it would further deepen them to a point where questions about how they can handle the postseason would be minimalized.

The easiest part about adding Kessel is that it only costs money without the need for trades. And with a signing like this coming so deep into the season, it wouldn’t be too much of an issue to get him in under the cap. That’s exactly how Edmonton would love to handle it.

Pittsburgh Penguins3 of 5

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The Pittsburgh Penguins offer Kessel familiarity and a chance to reignite old glory.

It wasn’t too long ago that he helped them win back-to-back Stanley Cups, but the situation in Pittsburgh is a bit different now.

The Penguins are fighting to get into the playoffs with a very veteran roster on top of some inconsistent performances. It may not be the kind of situation Kessel would be keen on.

However, all it costs to add him is money and having the cap flexibility to bring him on board. The Penguins are in a place where they have to get to the playoffs because of the commitments they’ve made to their aging core, and finishing on the outside looking in is doubly bad.

Pittsburgh has gotten brilliant play from Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Tristan Jarry this season, while Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang are also doing their best.

However, the Penguins need more and seeing Kessel back in black and gold could give them a lift where they need it most along the wings.

Florida Panthers4 of 5

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Kessel and the Golden Knights were able to dispatch the Florida Panthers a year ago to win the Cup, but imagine if he was able to do the same on the other side of the ledger.

It’s no secret the Panthers are always looking for forward help (they were keen on Patrick Kane over the summer and into this season) and their biggest problem is they’ve never really had the cap space and flexibility to add the high-end players they’ve wanted in the offseason.

The Panthers are rolling this season, but they’ll need to ensure they have the depth for the playoffs to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.

Adding Kessel to the wing deeper in the lineup would give Florida a new wrinkle to its offensive attack. It’s got ruggedness with Matthew Tkachuk, net presence and power-play brilliance from Sam Reinhart, and the winger could give the team a classic offensive dynamo who can score and make plays.

The idea of Kessel and the Panthers makes sense, especially when you consider the fight they’ll be facing to win the Atlantic Division and dealing with Tampa Bay, Toronto, or Detroit in the opening round.

Carolina Hurricanes5 of 5

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Carolina is another team that’s always on the prowl for help along the wings, which makes it a natural link for Kessel.

After a rough start to the season, the Hurricanes are very much back to where they should be in the standings and how they’re playing, which puts the onus on how they’re going to find a way to break through and possibly reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Depth is always the thing for them and adding Kessel would go toward helping address that.

Carolina has loads of offensive weapons and its lineup already looks rather formidable. If anything, it resembles how Vegas’ forward group stacked up last season, and Kessel wound up being the odd man out in the playoffs.

Perhaps we’re not making the best case for Kessel to wind up in Raleigh, but a team such as Carolina is in no position to feel fully satisfied with its situation.

The Hurricanes have fallen short in the postseason in each of the past few years. And for a team that’s been beastly in the regular season only to always come up short in the playoffs, it should be taking everything into consideration on how best to win the Cup.

That’s what makes adding Kessel a good idea. The only question is: Would it be enough to entice him?