Kessel Worth the Wait

In the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli waits patiently as St. Louis makes their first selection.  Erik Johnson comes and goes, as Pittsburgh, Chicago and Washington make their picks.  The once-projected number one selection still remains and Boston sees no choice but to select him. 

Phil Kessel, the bad boy with a fantastic offensive upside, did not exactly pan out in his last year at Minnesota University.  Starting 2005-06, Kessel was ranked higher than any other player in the world to be picked number one in the NHL Entry Draft.  But his bad attitude and struggles with his teammates dropped him in the rankings, and fell behind the likes of defenseman Erik Johnson and forward Jonathan Toews.  But Chiarelli stuck by his decision, calling Kessel a player with “world-class speed and gifted offensive talents."

Kessel began his rookie campaign the very next season, but bad news erupted almost as early as the first puck drop.  It was announced that Kessel had embryonal testicular cancer and would be sidelined for two weeks to rest.  At that point, Kessel had five goals and four assists in 27 games and was not very optimistic about his diagnosis. 

“I couldn't believe it. It was tough. I had a hard time with it,” stated Kessel,

Two weeks later, Kessel got back into the full swing of the NHL season, but only scored six goals and 14 assists in his remaining 43 games.  Kessel was not a stand-out player yet, but Bruins management knew that an impact player could take longer than one season to progress.  The team had drafted current NHL superstar Joe Thornton in 1997 with expectations of an immediate impact, but Joe took five seasons before he was recognized as a top-notch player. 

In 2007-08, Phil faced a few more struggles.  He was bounced around between lines and positions, being placed on left-wing at times on Marc Savard’s line.  He also saw time playing with veteran winger Glen Murray or crash-and-banger Chuck Kobasew, but never found a solid rhythm.  Scoring just 37 points in all 82 games played, fans became a little worried about Kessel’s progression. 

Bruins management still saw Kessel as a leader on the club, so they named him an alternate captain a few different times when players would be struck with an injury. 

This season, things seem to finally be coming around for Phil Kessel and the Boston Bruins.  Kessel has been strong in the Bruins’ remarkable run.  Posting a 33-7-4 record, the Bruins find themselves atop the Eastern Conference standings.  Kessel has been a very large part of that, registering 24 goals and 41 points in 42 games played, as well as posting a remarkable 18-game point-scoring streak that lasted November 13^th - December 21^st. 

The Bruins coaching staff placed Kessel back on the wing most of this season, playing alongside all-star center Marc Savard and winger Milan Lucic.  This line was dominant for the Bruins before injuries had taken place.  Lucic has been sidelined with an unspecified injury, and it was reported on January 13^th that Kessel is currently out with mononucleosis.  It is undetermined how much longer each player will be out of the lineup.

Looking at the current numbers, it is obvious that the Bruins are actually happy with Kessel’s drop in the Entry Draft, and they are reaping the benefits every game he plays.