Phil Kessel On The Trade Block: Why The Devils Should Pass

The New Jersey Devils have plenty of needs they need to address this off-season. Perhaps addressing their lack of scoring is the most pressing need for them this off-season. The Devils recently found out they would be picking at 6th overall in this year’s NHL Entry Draft which is considered to be one of the deepest draft pools in a long time. Given the Devils and GM Lou Lamoriello’s lack of draft success, plenty of fans have lost faith in the organization’s ability to put together a good draft and are calling for them to trade the pick for a proven player.

More from Pucks and Pitchforks

• Should New Jersey Devils Try Load Management With Vitek Vanecek?
• New Jersey Devils Will Prove That Last Year Wasn’t A Fluke
• New Jersey Devils: Luke Hughes’ Playmaking Will Outshine His Mistakes
• New Jersey Devils: Chase Stillman’s Performance Causes Concern
• Can Devils Fans Separate Zach Parise Heartbreak From Achievements?

One player that has been a popular name amongst Devils fans has been Toronto Maple Leafs forward

. Kessel is a 3-time all-star who is in the prime of his career at age 27 and just finished his 9th season in the NHL (6th with TOR). He originally started his career with the Boston Bruins, but was traded for two 1st-round picks and a 2nd-round pick after asking for a trade due to disputes with head coach

and over a new contract.

Phil Kessel is undoubtedly one of the superstars in today’s NHL, as he’s had at least 50 points in each of his last 7 seasons (including the lockout 2012-2013 season). He has great speed and a fantastic scoring touch which is something that could certainly be welcomed to the New Jersey roster. However, Phil Kessel‘s talent has come with a price throughout the years which makes the Devils trading for him incredibly risky.

He Doesn’t Fit The Devils System

Ex-Devils head coach and current Bruins head coach (for now) Claude Julien uses a defense-first approach in his system, which is very similar to the system the Devils use. One of the main reasons Phil Kessel and Claude Julien didn’t see eye-to-eye was because of his defense-first approach. If he had a problem playing in Boston’s system under Julien, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to think he most likely won’t enjoy playing in the Devils system should he be traded.

If you want proof of how he performs on the defensive side of the puck just look at his +/- rating throughout his career. He’s has a positive +/- rating in just one 1 of his 9 NHL seasons, has a career -74 +/- rating, and has been a -79 since being traded to the Leafs. While +/- is essentially a group rating since it measures if you were on ice for a goal for and goal against, you can say that some of the negative ratings are due to the players around him. However, keep in mind that this is a player that produces a minimum 50 points a season; if you come away with a negative +/- after your production then you’re likely part of the problem on defense.

Character Issues

While we already covered that Phil Kessel didn’t get along with his head coach in Boston, he has also had issues in Toronto. He spoke out against former Leafs head coach Ron Wilson after telling the media, “he might not be working out here.” Lou Lamoriello typically only brings in players who are willing to adapt to the Devils system and who won’t create problems/criticize the organization’s management. Kessel can be abrasive to his coaches and even his teammates, is that something the Devils really want/need?

The Steep Cost

Trading for Phil Kessel would almost certainly cost the Devils their 6th overall pick in the 1st-round this year and more. That is a pretty high price to pay for a player who is really only going to decline in production from this point in his career and carries a massive $8 million cap-hit until 2022 (he’ll be 33). Giving up the multiple picks and potential other player(s) in addition to his big cap-hit make this trade to risky to trade the #6 pick in this year’s draft.

The Devils simply don’t have enough additional talent to trade for Kessel and expect him to lead them to widespread success. The organization needs to focus on replenishing their farm system with talent and trying to add a young forward with their 1st-round pick. It’s completely understandable that fans want to see the team get back to the playoffs a.s.a.p., but a desperation move could set the organization back even further.

Some will argue that the Devils can build around Kessel’s talent just like the team did when they traded and later signed Ilya Kovalchuk. You must keep in mind the Devils cap situation and roster was a lot different then compared to now. The Devils had a supporting cast including Zach Parise and Patrik Elias, but now their only true scoring threat is Mike Cammalleri who’s production could slow down (much like Elias’) any year now. The Devils need scoring help bad, but they need talented younger players even more at this point. Trading for Phil Kessel would only put a band-aid on the Devils problems and they need to find a more permanent solution.

What are your thoughts on a potential Phil Kessel trade? Would you trade for Phil Kessel or resist the urge in order to replenish the team with younger talent? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below and keep checking the site for more Devils off-season coverage!

Next: Albany Devils: Which Players Could Move Up To New Jersey Next Season?