Kessel has loads of talent. I was estatic when they took him 5th overall in the draft a few years back. He's the type of explosive offensive weapon the Bruins have been lacking for a long, long time. That being said, he's small, frail, and has already had a major shoulder surgury at age 21. The shoulder injury is significant because in hockey, that's a part of your body that takes a nightly pounding. Going into corners, and being hammered, takes it's toll, and Kessel might not be built well for it, long term (especially with the Bruins grind it, defensive style). Still, there is no denying his ability to score. He scored 36 goals and missed a month with mono. The mono certainly knocked him off the rails a little bit, as he wasn't quite teh same as he was before the illness. This kid could easily score 50 goals a season. Of course, he's got to make it through a full season first. In Toronto, he'll easily be the offensive catalyst, and he'll get the bulk of the ice time, with free reign to play carelessly. He won't have the defensive responsibility there, that every player has here. So he could put up monster numbers on a bad team.
This deal isn't as bad as it seems. Were there no cap, I'd roast the Bruins for dealing this kid away. However, with a hard cap, the B's have two choices. Match any offer, and then trade away $3-4 million in current player salary, or trade him for the best deal you can get, and keep the rest of the team intact. The B's are $1.7 million under the cap, so to sign Kessel for $5 million+ per year, they'd have to move the difference. More importantly, next year you have Blake Wheeler, Milan Lucic, and Mark Savard to worry about financially, as they are restricted FA's, with Savard being a UFA. So this decision had ramifications beyond this year. By getting such high picks, the B's can now wait until the trade deadline, and use some of those picks, to add a player of value. They will have $1.7 million at that point (that's a lot at the deadline because of proration), and could have an injury excemption if a player is out for the year. Think of Marco Sturm's injury exemption that allowed them to spend close to $4 million to replace his slot. Oh, and Sturm returning will help make up for the 36 goals the B's lost. He should be good for 25-30, while providing some of the speed lost in Kessel. This deal isn't horrible, even though in a perfect world you'd probably wish Kessel stayed here.
