Despite his obvious offensive talent, veteran forward Phil Kessel has never been able to secure a long-term NHL contract with any one team. Kessel has been traded around, sometimes at his own request, and it appears he may be traded again.
Recently, Arizona Coyotes insider Craig Morgan revealed that Phil Kessel has requested a trade from the Coyotes. The news comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed Kessel's career, or the Coyotes' offseason under new GM Bill Armstrong.
The Coyotes have started tearing down their roster, shipping out big names like defenseman Oliver Ekman Larsson and taking on bad contracts from around the league to replenish their draught pick pool. Without denying that the Coyotes' current strategy makes sense, one can understand why an ageing talent like Kessel would prefer to play elsewhere next season.
Then there's Kessel's relationship with ex-Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet. Many believe Kessel only agreed to a trade to Arizona because Tocchet was the coach at the time, and Tocchet has since left the organisation.
Unfortunately for Kessel, he may have to wait a while longer to be traded. Despite having 20 goals and 23 assists for 43 points in only 56 games with the Coyotes last season, and having only one year remaining on his contract at a cap hit of $6.8 million, the 33-year-old winger appears to have little interest from the NHL. Morgan believes the Coyotes are content to wait until the trade deadline, when Kessel is sure to entice more NHL teams.
