He has met and surpassed expectations. Average to bad defensively, very good to stellar offensively. He's a first line winger on most teams in the league. Dude can score, and is making a name for himself as a former 5th overall draft pick. Great player.
I don't think Hull is a great comparison. While both guys are snipers with flawed defensive games, Hull never had the wheels that Kessel has, and Kessel isn't the same marksman that Hull was in the slot. Kessel's speed and deceptive shot release make him a great goal scorer, but he's not deadly accurate to the degree that Hull was for his entire career. I'm convinced that Hull could score 20 goals right now just by camping out in the high slot and getting fed passes, and Kessel (while a sniper in his own right) scores more goals because his speed and quick release allow him to catch goalies out of position. Kessel is more comparable to guys like Bondra, Satan, Palffy, and possibly Mike Gartner, etc. Not deadly marksman in the slot, but guys whose speed and release allowed them to score on a regular basis.
Back on topic, this year convinced me that he's met expectations. He's found the consistency that he lacked up to this point, and even more impressively, he did it in an environment that isn't synonymous with consistency and stability.
One more thing from a Bruin fan's perspective. Having watched him play 200+ times in a Bruins uniform, he's exceeded my expectations on two different planes that I never thought he could: Consistency and Leadership. His abilities alone were always going to allow him to pot 30+ goals every year, but he's found more consistency in his game this year, and if he can continue that while Toronto improves the group around him, then that's what will make him a 40+ goal guy. As for Leadership, he should have never been put into a role that forces him to be a spokesman in any way (it's just not him), but I think he's handled being out of his comfort zone pretty well. He has a lot of microphones in his face at all times, which is something that most would agree isn't his preference, but he never shied away from accountability this year.
Best American in the NHL, by far.
So that's pretty damn good. As there are a lot of Americans in the world.
This is extremely debatable. I would definitely take Patrick Kane and Zach Parise over him. Similar offensively and better overall players. Bobby Ryan has also scored 30 goals in every one of his NHL seasons.
If we're including defensemen and goalies then you'd have to consider Ryan Suter, Tim Thomas and Ryan Miller better than Phil Kessel.
This is extremely debatable. I would definitely take Patrick Kane and Zach Parise over him. Similar offensively and better overall players. Bobby Ryan has also scored 30 goals in every one of his NHL seasons.
If we're including defensemen and goalies then you'd have to consider Ryan Suter, Tim Thomas and Ryan Miller better than Phil Kessel.
Its not a debate. Nobody would trade Kane or Parise for Kessel straight up.
That was not fair to him and also ridiculous, people wanted an American Crosby. He never had that potential. He has exceeded my expectations, never thought he would ever come close to 40 goals.
Disregarding this season, he scored 36 back in 08/09... That's pretty damn close to 40 if you ask me.
Personally, he just met expectations for me this year. If Burke can obtain a #1 center in the next couple of years, I'm sure he'll exceed them.
Well I know he's exceeded expectations with the Leafs. He was suppose to be nothing without Marc Savard. He just got 82 points with Tyler Bozak as his centre.
Well I know he's exceeded expectations with the Leafs. He was suppose to be nothing without Marc Savard. He just got 82 points with Tyler Bozak as his centre.
He is much better now yet still hasn't matched his goal scoring pace from 08-09. It's no coincidence he was playing with one of the best setup players in the game then.
People questioned how he would do without Savard and naturally his production did falter. I don't think anybody said he would be "nothing" without Savard and if they did they were foolish.
He is much better now yet still hasn't matched his goal scoring pace from 08-09. It's no coincidence he was playing with one of the best setup players in the game then.
People questioned how he would do without Savard and naturally his production did falter. I don't think anybody said he would be "nothing" without Savard and if they did they were foolish.
It really doesn't matter since his assist total has gone way up. He's a much better overall offensive talent than before.
Its not a debate. Nobody would trade Kane or Parise for Kessel straight up.
Why? They are all pretty comparable depending on the needs of the individual team. Each of them has similar production. To me it's only a matter of preference. This year Kessel has the most points of the three.
Kessel is there to put pucks in the net and does it just as reliably as Kane and Parise. Why must people try to place expectations on Kessel to display characteristics of other players which he simply doesn't have?
Every team would like to have a Kessel, just like every team would love to have a Lucic. He is among the elite group of players in the NHL as are Kane and Parise. Cut the guy some slack.
He was a 5th overall pick, if actual scouts thought he was going to be the American Crosby, then he would have gone 1st overall above guys like Erik Johnson and Jordan Staal (who went 1 and 2 in his draft year). The sprinklings of extreme hype about him came mostly from people whose opinions don't mean much. So far he's been pretty good for a 5th overall pick, better than your average 5th overall pick for sure, and I think he's still improving. He's just 24, if he can add a bit of grit and 2-way play to his game (not a tonne, just a bit), and continue to improve offensively, he could be a Naslund or Selanne type of player.
So much pressure there in Toronto to produce. He has done a terrific job with what little supporting cast he gets. He is Torontos franchise player, he has all the skills to be a consistent 80 point player IMO at least.
