Phil Kessel gave Maple Leafs fans more than they realized at the time

Phil Kessel spent six years in Toronto and became a household name due to his scoring ability and personality but he was actually more effective than you'd think.

When the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Phil Kessel from the Boston Bruins in 2009, it cost the Maple Leafs two first-round picks and a second-rounder. Though fans may groan at the players those picks turned out to be (Dougie Hamilton and Tyler Seguin) at the time - the Maple Leafs needed a scoring presence.

However, he became a player who turned a potential disaster into a bright spot during a time when the team was not nearly competitive enough. With his combination of offensive ability, charming nature, and connection with the fans - he became a bit more beloved.

Phil Kessel was a much better Maple Leaf than critics would tell you

Taking a deeper look though, Kessel actually was a lot more effective and a better player than maybe he gets credit for, especially during an era where the Maple Leafs were perennially sitting near the basement.

He scored 394 points in 446 games which included 187 goals. Kessel's point total ranks him 25th on the franchise's all-time list, ahead of names such as Tyler Bozak, Red Kelly, Darcy Tucker, and Steve Thomas, meanwhile he ranks 22nd all-time for goals ahead of Nazem Kadri and Doug Gilmour.

Kessel also was a much more clutch player than you'd think, as he had 31 game-winning goals which puts him 17th - tied with Rick Vaive and ahead of legends like Babe Dye and Syl Apps.

You have to also take into account the players he had alongside him. In his first year, he led the team with 55 points. The next highest forward was Matt Stajan with 41, showing a clear gap between where Toronto was offensively and why they needed Kessel - even if he was only 22 when they acquired him.

He led the team every year in points yet only made the playoffs once - which is evidence that it wasn't Kessel unable to pull his weight but instead trying to carry a burdensome group.

Kessel carried a Maple Leafs offence that gave him remarkably little help

Now, we have to be aware there are stark differences in the team from when Kessel was around to now. But he still holds a place in several of Toronto's record books and should be viewed as a much better piece than initially credited for.

Compared to Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander - sure, his numbers aren't nearly as high. But this current group also made the playoffs nearly ten years in a row, built a group around great prospects, and actually supported their stars (to a degree).

Kessel's Toronto tenure instead became the final major chapter before the organization tore down its roster and started over. He was traded to Pittsburgh in 2015, Toronto finished last the following season and won the draft lottery that brought Auston Matthews to the franchise.

Scoring 394 points in Toronto is no easy task, and doing it without any real support up front just shows how good Phil Kessel was despite being part of one of the worst stretches in franchise history and he deserves a bit more admiration for being a positive part of a very negative era.

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