Kessel signs long term extension (8 yrs, 64M, 8M AAV)

[TimKerr]

What rep as last to the rink first off the ice?  I've never heard that before.

Nor have I.

As a non-Leafs fan but citizen of Toronto, I implore you to stop reading and/or responding to anything Cox says. He is simply baiting you and doesn't mean or care about most of the stuff he says or writes.

As an objective outsider, this is a solid, solid deal to wrap up Kessel. I thought the Leafs wouldn't be able to re-sign him and he would want to go to UFA. But he obviously chose to stay and at 8 years will be around when the Leafs are true contenders.

 

[pnjunction]

I'll take it.  The best part is not having to hear about it from the media all season long.  Now we'll just get the occasional quip about Phil being an $8M man next year.

 

[Redleaf]

What rep as last to the rink first off the ice?  I've never heard that before.

Nor have I.

As a non-Leafs fan but citizen of Toronto, I implore you to stop reading and/or responding to anything Cox says. He is simply baiting you and doesn't mean or care about most of the stuff he says or writes.

As an objective outsider, this is a solid, solid deal to wrap up Kessel. I thought the Leafs wouldn't be able to re-sign him and he would want to go to UFA. But he obviously chose to stay and at 8 years will be around when the Leafs are true contenders.

And the reason you thought they wouldn't be able to resign him was likely from all the mudslinging that comes from 'the sky is falling' Toronto hockey media.

 

[AvroArrow]

SCORE!!! 

 

[mr grieves]

Everyone loves Kessel at around 8 mil for 8 years and why not?

Not everyone.

I have real qualms about locking the long-term future of this team into a combo of Kessel & Phaneuf, if he's the next on their list.  IMO each is too flawed to be the core of a real contender.

I agree with that to one extent or another but in a strict pay for performance sense of things I think this deal is about right.

And even if you do think that's true, isn't it about all you could hope for for the Leafs? If he were looking to leave, what return on a rental would get you much closer to finding core players without flaws?

 

[Kin]

And even if you do think that's true, isn't it about all you could hope for for the Leafs? If he were looking to leave, what return on a rental would get you much closer to finding core players without flaws?

Well, if that is the way you're looking at things it wouldn't be the return on Kessel exactly(although I think that could still yield several pieces that could develop in that direction) it would also be 8 million cap dollars long term + making the team worse and improving their draft position.

 

[Redleaf]

Kessel breakdown, 10m, 10m, 9m, 9m, 7m, 7m, 6m, 6m. Pay for each year.

 

[Kin]

Well, I don't know about the rest of you but I'm really looking forward to Kessel retiring as a Leaf and his mumbling, disinterested speech when he's inducted into the HHOF.

 

[TimKerr]

What rep as last to the rink first off the ice?  I've never heard that before.

Nor have I.

As a non-Leafs fan but citizen of Toronto, I implore you to stop reading and/or responding to anything Cox says. He is simply baiting you and doesn't mean or care about most of the stuff he says or writes.

As an objective outsider, this is a solid, solid deal to wrap up Kessel. I thought the Leafs wouldn't be able to re-sign him and he would want to go to UFA. But he obviously chose to stay and at 8 years will be around when the Leafs are true contenders.

And the reason you thought they wouldn't be able to resign him was likely from all the mudslinging that comes from 'the sky is falling' Toronto hockey media.

No, I honestly thought he wouldn't re-sign because the Leafs weren't set to be a contender.
I do wonder if the Leafs didn't make the playoffs last year AND Brian Burke was never fired if he would have still re-signed. Of course we'll never know and it is just speculation on my part, but I found it interesting nonetheless.

 

[Frank E]

My initial reaction was...phew.

So I guess I'm happy that he's done, and I figured $8 was going to be the number anyways.

There was obviously some push to get this done before the start of the season, and I'm glad for all of us that we don't have to go the next 9 months speculating whether or not he'll be around.

 

[Bonsixx]

Cox really is a piece of work.

Don?t forget, it wasn?t that long ago that he was picked dead last in the all-star game draft, and the hockey world seemed to take enormous delight laughing at Kessel, Brian Burke and the Leafs, not necessarily in that order.

...

He?s like none of those players, and his battle readiness will continue to be questioned, as will his rep as a last-to-the-rink, first-off-the-ice player

What rep as last to the rink first off the ice?  I've never heard that before.

Not sure I disagree with the first paragraph. But Burke brought that kind of vitriol on himself with his bold proclamations.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I was just shaking my head at using being named to the All-Star team as a way to criticize a player.

 

[AlmosGirl]

Awesome!

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I was just shaking my head at using being named to the All-Star team as a way to criticize a player.

No doubt, he only makes himself look stupid.

 

[Bonsixx]

I was just shaking my head at using being named to the All-Star team as a way to criticize a player.

Oh, totally. That's why, even if true, people laughing at Kessel or the Leafs for that incident was insane.

 

[ZBBM]

Sorry to be the party pooper, but I can't be giddy about this.  To my mind he hasn't quite demonstrated that NewPhil is what we really are going to get.  I sure as heck hope it is. There's no question he's improved over the last season or two.  I'm just not convinced that he's worth Crosbyesque money and term.

I'm more concerned about Phaneuf being re-signed at some long term / high price, though. 

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Sorry to be the party pooper, but I can't be giddy about this.  To my mind he hasn't quite demonstrated that NewPhil is what we really are going to get.  I sure as heck hope it is. There's no question he's improved over the last season or two.  I'm just not convinced that he's worth Crosbyesque money and term.

I'm more concerned about Phaneuf being re-signed at some long term / high price, though.

Crosby wouldn't get $8 million under the new CBA.

EDIT:  Also, here's an article on his contract comparables: http://hockeyanalysis.com/2013/10/01/phil-kessel-and-his-contract-comparables/

 

[Zee]

Sorry to be the party pooper, but I can't be giddy about this.  To my mind he hasn't quite demonstrated that NewPhil is what we really are going to get.  I sure as heck hope it is. There's no question he's improved over the last season or two.  I'm just not convinced that he's worth Crosbyesque money and term.

I'm more concerned about Phaneuf being re-signed at some long term / high price, though.

What else does Kessel have to do besides staying in the top 10 in scoring in the league?  Guys that put up a point a game don't just grow on trees.  If they didn't sign Kessel, there was no way to replace him.

 

[bustaheims]

Sorry to be the party pooper, but I can't be giddy about this.  To my mind he hasn't quite demonstrated that NewPhil is what we really are going to get.  I sure as heck hope it is. There's no question he's improved over the last season or two.  I'm just not convinced that he's worth Crosbyesque money and term.

"Crosbyesque" term? Seriously? Sid is on a 12 year deal. 8 years is hardly "Crosbyesque." It's a max-length deal under the new CBA, and most high-end type players are going to get similar length deals from their teams as they are approaching UFA status. As for the money, if Crosby signed a deal under the new CBA and he didn't feel the need to have his cap hit match his jersey number, he'd easily be getting $10M+.

I mean, what else does the guy have to do to make you realize he's a special talent. Be one of only 2 guys to be in the top 10 in points for each of the last two seasons? Have the 7th highest goal total in the league in the past 4 seasons? The 4th highest point total over the last 2? Seriously. Kessel is one of the top handful of players at his position, and one of the top 10 offensive talents in the league right now. He's paid perfectly appropriately for that, and likely would have received more than $9M per had he hit the open market.

 

[Zee]

Sorry to be the party pooper, but I can't be giddy about this.  To my mind he hasn't quite demonstrated that NewPhil is what we really are going to get.  I sure as heck hope it is. There's no question he's improved over the last season or two.  I'm just not convinced that he's worth Crosbyesque money and term.

"Crosbyesque" term? Seriously? Sid is on a 12 year deal. 8 years is hardly "Crosbyesque." It's a max-length deal under the new CBA, and most high-end type players are going to get similar length deals from their teams as they are approaching UFA status. As for the money, if Crosby signed a deal under the new CBA and he didn't feel the need to have his cap hit match his jersey number, he'd easily be getting $10M+.

In 2-3 years we'll look at Kessel's cap number and think it's low.  All speculation is the cap is going to increase significantly, and players will cash in.  Wait until PK Subban becomes a UFA and see what he signs for.  Same goes for any top young player currently not signed long term.