Kessel Traded to the Leafs

[fastmiele 59]

I don't like this trade for the Leafs. The team is still rebuilding, and sure there are some parts in place, but to be giving away your first round picks for the next two years, when your team won't legitimately compete for the Cup for the next 4 to 5 years seems like a step in the wrong direction. If this exact trade had taken place three years from now, after the leafs built up some young players and developed the ones they have now, then sure. I think Burke jumped the gun on this.

Yeah. but if you are a contending team, no way Boston is going to take back two 1st rounders that could be 20th+ overall and a 2nd rounder for a player like Kessel.

yeah, but what other options did Peter Chiarelli have ? I think he made the best out of a bad situation. He took the best deal/offer presented to him. Kessel already told him he didn't want to return to the team and was going to sign an offer sheet within a week or two. If Kessel signed an offer sheet then Chiarelli would really be backed up into the corner. At least this way he makes the first move instead of reacting to another parties move.

To be honest, I don't what Chiarelli was thinking but I think he should of still tried to work out the original Kessel - Kaberle trade. I think Kaberle pairing up with Chara would of been a dynamite pair.

He sure did. This sounds like it was a hairsbreadth away from collusion.

absolutely, I wonder how Kessel and the Leafs were so quickly able to come to terms on a new contract ? Surely, it takes a decent amount of time to negotiate a new contract of Kessel's magnitude ? Don't lawyers have to examine this stuff ?

[mrusse01 0]

Makes sense. Someone on hfboards said: it's like just giving up one first rounder

Kessel himself is a 1st rounder, the 2nd was for Stralman whom we would lose anyways to waivers so just a first that should be mid-round if we make the playoffs.

speaking of Stralman, I read in the news that the coach said Stralman was the best player on the ice in their last game. <_<

Stralman is a fantastic talent, I wouldn't be even mildly surprised if he made an All-Star game someday. I can only assume he's a head case, otherwise they were nuts to get rid of him.

[Chadd 916]

I don't like this trade for the Leafs. The team is still rebuilding, and sure there are some parts in place, but to be giving away your first round picks for the next two years, when your team won't legitimately compete for the Cup for the next 4 to 5 years seems like a step in the wrong direction. If this exact trade had taken place three years from now, after the leafs built up some young players and developed the ones they have now, then sure. I think Burke jumped the gun on this.

Yeah. but if you are a contending team, no way Boston is going to take back two 1st rounders that could be 20th+ overall and a 2nd rounder for a player like Kessel.

yeah, but what other options did Peter Chiarelli have ? I think he made the best out of a bad situation. He took the best deal/offer presented to him. Kessel already told him he didn't want to return to the team and was going to sign an offer sheet within a week or two. If Kessel signed an offer sheet then Chiarelli would really be backed up into the corner. At least this way he makes the first move instead of reacting to another parties move.

To be honest, I don't what Chiarelli was thinking but I think he should of still tried to work out the original Kessel - Kaberle trade. I think Kaberle pairing up with Chara would of been a dynamite pair.

He sure did. This sounds like it was a hairsbreadth away from collusion.

absolutely, I wonder how Kessel and the Leafs were so quickly able to come to terms on a new contract ? Surely, it takes a decent amount of time to negotiate a new contract of Kessel's magnitude ? Don't lawyers have to examine this stuff ?

Kessel could negotiate with anyone prior to the trade. The Bruins had the option to match any offer, but were not the only team permitted to negotiate with Kessel. If he couldn't negotiate with anyone, there would never be an RFA going to another team via an offer sheet (they have to be signed by the player).

[mrusse01 0]

What's the recourse if say Kessel and the Bruins never came to an agreement, he didn't sign an offer sheet anywhere, and they didn't trade hime? They got rid of arbitration didn't they?

[Chadd 916]

What's the recourse if say Kessel and the Bruins never came to an agreement, he didn't sign an offer sheet anywhere, and they didn't trade hime? They got rid of arbitration didn't they?

The team and the player have arbitration rights, though I believe he did not have enough service to qualify. Either they would come to an agreement or he would not play in the NHL.

[Jason Harris 31]

I recall reading during the summer that Kessel had to sign by December 1st (it could have been November 1st) or he would have had to sit out the year.

I found Chiarelli's comments surprisingly pointed:

Let me be perfectly clear. This trade is really about two things. One, it’s about a player who did not want to play in Boston. Two, it’s about the threat or the perceived threat of an offer sheet....We want players that want to be here. I know that this player is a good player. Obviously he is. He can skate. He can shoot the puck. But we want players that want to be here. We want to grow the team with these types of players. I know the history here, but this isn’t about frugality. There were some significant [contract] offers made. There was little or no attempt to negotiate from the other side, which I think is for a reason, which is the reason I explained earlier.

The press conference suggested that both sides grew frustrated with each other last season. Kessel just wanted to play hockey his way, which is as an supremely skilled offensive player. Conversely, the Bruins wanted more effort from him, such as in backchecking or weight work. Julien's only stick was playing time and it seems Kessel bristled when Julien used it, because the Globe claims that Kessel hinted during the 2007-2008 season that he wouldn't be opposed to Boston trading him.