Courtesy of the-jumbotron.com

By Joe Ballway, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent

Turns out we’ll see plenty of Phil Kessel this year–just not in a Bruins uniform. According to TSN, Kessel signed a 5-year, $27 million contract with Toronto on Friday after the Leafs acquired his rights from Boston. In exchange, the Bruins received a first and second-round pick in the 2010 draft, as well as a first-round pick in the 2011 draft.

The deal signals the end of Kessel’s tenuous relationship with the Bruins. Drafted fifth overall in 2006, his talent never really came to fruition until last season, when he spearheaded Boston’s much-improved offense with 36 goals in just 70 games. Prior to his breakout he had never scored more than 19 goals in a season, and questions of his work ethic and character lingered. In the 2008 first-round playoff series against Montreal, Kessel was benched due to his unwillingness to commit to the physical and defensive aspects of the game. While the benching served as a wake-up call heading into last season, he continues to be criticized for his one-dimensional play; his softness was again exposed in the conference semi-finals against Carolina last season, when he failed to score in six of the seven games and often seemed invisible in an intensely physical series.

Nonetheless, Kessel’s emergence as a game-breaking offensive force in the regular season raised his value considerably heading into free-agency. The Bruins, faced with the dilemma of keeping both Kessel and David Krejci despite limited cap space, prioritized by inking Krejci to a 3-year deal early in the free-agent signing period. Kessel supposedly maintained negotiations with the Bruins for much of the summer but the two sides didn’t see eye-to-eye, and the Bruins were forced to shop the disgruntled winger–despite his claims that a contract would be in place by the start of the season. 

Toronto originally expressed interest in Kessel before the draft, when he was rumored to be heading to the Leafs for defenseman Tomas Kaberle and a first-round pick. While Kaberle would’ve provided much-needed offensive prowess for a somewhat depleted defensive corps, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli vetoed the trade, seeking a better return package. The Predators and Rangers were also rumored to have expressed interest in Kessel’s services, but Toronto ultimately made a satisfying pitch, and Chiarelli pulled the trigger.

In terms of replacing Kessel’s production–since the draft picks won’t pay immediate dividends–the Bruins have plenty of offensive depth to cover for his absence. Marco Sturm will be returning after missing most of last season; he can be counted on for at least 20 goals over a full slate. Patrice Bergeron is due to rediscover his scoring touch, and Blake Wheeler and Milan Lucic are expected to continue their development as young stars possibly headed into 30-goal territory. Mark Recchi also gets a stab at a full season in Boston, and he will provide the experience and mental toughness that the team will need to stay on track in its quest to finally bring a Cup back to Boston.

Kessel’s departure will certainly be felt in some regards, but it shouldn’t take anything away from the success that Chiarelli and coach Claude Julien have built over the past few years. If Kessel really is the locker-room cancer that he has been rumored to be for much of his career, then the $5 million that he commanded seems an awful steep price to pay for attitude. And while Kessel will be the go-to guy in an offensively-starved system, the fact that he won’t find a playmaker anywhere near the caliber of Marc Savard has me thinking that he could be in for a trying season. Meanwhile, the Bruins should only continue to get better as their young, raw talent further develops; Kessel’s flight is merely a bump in the road.

Boston won’t face Kessel and the Maple Leafs until December 5th in Toronto.

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