Fresh off winning the third Stanley Cup of his career, Phil Kessel told reporters that he has no intention to retire and wants to play next season. However, a return to the Vegas Golden Knights does not seem particularly high, as he was scratched for all but four postseason games by head coach Bruce Cassidy.
Kessel’s offensive production took a bit of a dip this season, as he posted 14 goals and 36 points in 82 games this season. Although his days of being a star are over, he is still a valuable secondary scorer, and he also is extremely durable, hence his 1,064-game regular-season iron man streak. There should be interest in his services this summer because of this. Let’s now discuss three clubs that could be interested in signing the three-time Stanley Cup winner.
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are entering the offseason with the expectation of strengthening their roster. They truly need to if they hope to cement themselves as one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Although improving does not sound too difficult in theory, the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyout penalties have put the Wild in a serious jam financially. They are likely to look for bargain free agents because of this, and the 35-year-old Kessel stands out as one.
When looking at the Wild’s lineup, it is fair to argue that they could use another top-nine forward. This is especially so when noting that they could lose Gustav Nyquist in free agency this summer. Therefore, bringing in a player like Kessel would make sense for Minnesota. He would be a clear candidate to play on the club’s third line, but he also could be bumped up to their top six since their right wing depth is not very strong. With that, Kessel would also surely get power-play time with the team.
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Lastly, when noting that Kessel spent his lone collegiate season at the University of Minnesota, it seems possible that he would be willing to return to the state as a member of the Wild. On a cheap one-year deal, there could be a great match here.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning stand out as a team who should consider signing Kessel this summer. Similar to the Wild, they are heading into this offseason with limited cap space. With that, Alex Killorn and Corey Perry are pending unrestricted free agents (UFA), and their returns are not guaranteed because of Tampa Bay’s cap situation. Ross Colton, a pending restricted free agent (RFA), has also emerged as a trade candidate for the same reason. Tampa Bay should be on the hunt for affordable, but also impactful forwards because of this, and Kessel would give them just that.
Kessel would be a good middle-six option for the Lightning if signed. A second line consisting of him, Anthony Cirelli, and Brandon Hagel has the potential to do some damage, but he also would give their third line a nice boost if utilized there. Furthermore, he would be a sweet addition to their power play because of his playmaking ability.
Playing for the Lightning would surely give Kessel a chance of winning his fourth Stanley Cup, so he would likely consider signing if approached by them. Who knows? Maybe joining a deep team like the Lightning is the spark Kessel needs to improve his production in 2023-24.
Colorado Avalanche
Heading into the offseason, the Colorado Avalanche have an abundance of UFA forwards. They are as followed: J.T. Compher, Evan Rodrigues, Andrew Cogliano, Lars Eller, Darren Helm, and Matt Nieto. Needless to say, the Avalanche will likely be on the hunt for forward depth this summer. Thus, they could be a possible free-agent destination for Kessel.
The Avalanche would be wise to bring in another top-nine right winger. It is not the strongest position on their current roster, and Kessel has the potential to improve it. When thinking of a specific spot for Kessel to play in their group, he would be an option for their second line. With that, he would also give them another valuable weapon on their power play and could see his production improve playing with stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
Similar to the Lightning, playing for the Avalanche would give Kessel the opportunity to join a team that has Stanley Cup aspirations. In the end, both parties have the potential to benefit from this move.
Nevertheless, it will be intriguing to see where Kessel ends up this summer. Even if he is no longer a star, he is still effective, and I truly believe that he will have zero trouble landing a cheap, one-year deal this summer because of it. Will it be with one of these three clubs? We will need to wait and see.