It is time for the NHL off-season, which means major trades are destined to happened when free agency starts. One hot topic this off-season is Toronto Maple Leaf superstar winger Phil Kessel there are reports that they are trying to trade him before the NHL draft, which is Friday night. So, if they can find a trading partner for Kessel, here are some possible landing spots where Kessel could land. Kessel has a big contract so whoever gets him has to be willing to pay his big salary.
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal is Toronto's biggest rival, so why would Toronto trade their superstar to a rival team? Montreal has been lacking of one thing for the past few years. That thing that they have been missing is offense, which is where Kessel comes in. He can give Montreal the goal scoring winger that they have been dying for the past few seasons. Landing Kessel would make Montreal a threat in the eastern conference with a strong defense lead by P.K Subban and an All-Star goalie in Carey Price. There is no limit where Montreal can go if they add Kessel to the lineup because Kessel might be the missing piece to the Stanley Cup puzzle in Montreal. Montreal also has some prospects and draft picks that could interest Toronto. Since they are a rebuilding team and they want as many young players and draft picks as they can get.
Nashville Predators
Nashville is a team that is on the rise because they have good defense with players like Shea Webber and Seth Jones, a promising winger in Filip Forsberg, and an All-Star goalie in Pekka Rinne. Adding a player like Phil Kessel might take Nashville from a team that can win in the future to a team that could contend right now. Nashville has been having their eyes on Kessel for a very long time so this would make sense. The problem with this is if Nashville is able to land Kessel, how they will be able to pay players like Seth Jones and Filip Forsberg? Kessel's contract will eat up a lot of the cap space that they might not be able to sign Jones or Forsberg.
Washington Capitals
One team that has been a middle of the pack team in the past few years has been Washington Capitals. They just cannot find a way to get to the Stanley Cup Finals. One problem they have is scoring. They need a first line winger to go with winger Alexander Ovechkin. Kessel would be the perfect fit for Washington to help out the team. The possibility of him and Ovechkin playing together is deadly if they can find themselves a legit first line center along with Kessel they will be a dominant force in the Eastern Conference.
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit is one of the most successful teams in hockey history making the playoffs for the past 20 plus seasons. They have great players like Pavel Datsyuk and even better they also have good young players like Tomáš Jurčo and Anthony Mantha. Adding Kessel would make Detroit a contender in the Eastern Conference every season. A lot of hockey fans think when will Detroit go down to earth and go through a rebuild. They will be showing the fans that they will be going for one more cup run if they add Kessel. Detroit also has prospects that Toronto might be interested in.
Anaheim Ducks
For the past few season they have been a team that been eliminated in the first two rounds. This season they got over the hump and made it to the third round getting beat by the Chicago Blackhawks. This season they proved that they can make it all the way, but adding Kessel would make Anaheim a favorite in the Western Conference. They already have players like Corey Perry, Ryan Kessler, and Ryan Getzlaf . They can put Kessel on the first line which would be a unstoppable lineup for teams in the Western Conference. With the All-Star centers that they have and the All-Star winger they are trying to get, Anaheim might be a force for the next few seasons.