Zanzibar Buck-Buck McFate said:
He is at best a secondary piece, not the centerpiece, of any team that aims to be a perennial playoff team and contender.
I completely agree with this, but this is no fault of his own. Unfortunately for Kessel, the trade that brought him here and the fact he doesn't have someone else to insulate him/take away the spotlight does not do him any favours. Again, that is not on him.
Kessel is what he is -- a sniper who will get you at least 35 goals and nearly a point per game. He will not run over guys, he will not get "dirty", he won't be confused as a Selke candidate, it's unlikely he will take this team on his back and carry it -- it's not the type of player he is, and that's okay. As long as he puts up the points, it doesn't matter. It is a concern that if he isn't scoring he is nearly invisible, but one hopes those stretches are minimized as he matures and grows as a player.
I believe the argument that he was the right player but at the wrong type is completely valid. But when drafting up a championship calibre roster, a player like Kessel is needed. We have that already. It's up to Nonis to do what Burke couldn't do and bring in that piece in which Kessel complements nicely. Kadri may be that guy, but I'd rather another guy be brought in in which we can run two legitimate scoring pairing threats (XXX-Kessel, Kadri-Lupul).