Targeting Kessel

[FinnishFlash]

I'd still do TyJo for Kessel, but I would definitely prefer to give up Perry or Kopitar

[Crazy Joe Davola]

Done deal. Johnson for Kessel straight up. Feeling good

[fungchen3]

Done deal. Johnson for Kessel straight up. Feeling good

Good trade. Kessel is still young. I would have preferred you deal Kopitar but Johnson is still a trade I would make. Kessel will score 83-88 this year.

[Crazy Joe Davola]

Good trade. Kessel is still young. I would have preferred you deal Kopitar but Johnson is still a trade I would make. Kessel will score 83-88 this year.

Thanks! I would have preferred to move Kopitar or Perry myself, but when it came down to it, the value still worked for me. I'm loaded up for a run at the title now.

[fungchen3]

Thanks! I would have preferred to move Kopitar or Perry myself, but when it came down to it, the value still worked for me. I'm loaded up for a run at the title now.

Yep, great value. Kessel could match Seguin this year - that's Top 5 forward material.

[Crazy Joe Davola]

Yep, great value. Kessel could match Seguin this year - that's Top 5 forward material.

That would be phenomenal! I've set my benchmarks at 40 goals and 80 points with a decent +/-. Anything more will be sweet sweet gravy

[fungchen3]

That would be phenomenal! I've set my benchmarks at 40 goals and 80 points with a decent +/-. Anything more will be sweet sweet gravy

Watching Crosby and Kessel on that PP in preseason was disgusting. Granted, it was preseason, but there was also no Letang or Malkin in one game and the throttle wasn't pushed to 10 either. Kess will have a MONSTER year.

[lucafen4]

If Kessel can be a pt/gm player over the past 4 seasons (last year accepted as an anomaly) with Bozak as his C & Lupul/JVR as his wingers...

I don't see Kessel falling back to .9/game or 70pts with Crosby/Malkin as his C. -- 80pts per year & 35+ goals is basically a given for Kessel for at least the next 3 seasons.

His ability to pass is what is going to make him dynamite in Pitt. He now has legit top end talent that will put away those tape to tape passes that I've watched go through Bozak's legs for years.

I'm assuming this is a points only league?

I'd do the trade for Kessel, just be willing to accept TJ also breaking 80pts in the next few years.

[Crazy Joe Davola]

If Kessel can be a pt/gm player over the past 4 seasons (last year accepted as an anomaly) with Bozak as his C & Lupul/JVR as his wingers...

I don't see Kessel falling back to .9/game or 70pts with Crosby/Malkin as his C. -- 80pts per year & 35+ goals is basically a given for Kessel for at least the next 3 seasons.

His ability to pass is what is going to make him dynamite in Pitt. He now has legit top end talent that will put away those tape to tape passes that I've watched go through Bozak's legs for years.

I'm assuming this is a points only league?

I'd do the trade for Kessel, just be willing to accept TJ also breaking 80pts in the next few years.

I'm still a big fan of Johnson and believe he has more to give offensively, especially with the skillful Kucherov locked on his hip. That being said, i'd be far happier with the trade if TJ ended up in the 70-75 point range for his prime rather than breaking into PPG territory. I've been burned with line mates in the past and have been trying to alleviate that this offseason (moved Foligno for Lundqvist and kept Johansen and now moving Johnson and keeping Kucherov.) I still have Getz and Perry, but that should be just fine.

Im excited that its been almost unanimously considered a win for me in this deal. At first glance I didn't like the idea of moving Johnson, but sometimes you've gotta buy into the hype and Kessel with Crosby seems like the best time to board the hype-train!

[lucafen4]

Well... feel good that kessel is more than just a hype train. He also showed - albeit a very small time frame - what he can do with high end line mates at the last Olympics. He has a very straight forward style of play that Crosby/Malkin will be able to exploit. They move all over the zone on the power play, kessel sticks to his board and snipes away... if only he could one-time.