The NHL trade deadline is on the horizon and following the firing of head coach Randy Carlyle for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team may look at making trades and one player that could move is Phil Kessel, as he likely could net a nice package for the franchise as they sit in the final playoffs spot in the eastern conference in January.
The Maple Leafs made the playoffs two years ago to snap a streak, but they lost in one of the worst collapses in a Game 7 in any sport and have not quite recovered. According to ESPN.com, the team dismissed head coach and now Peter Horachek will take over on an interim basis after the move. The team went 91-78-19 with Carlyle and he helped lead the team to the playoffs to snap a six year drought, but that loss against the Bruins was hard to forget for fans and the franchise.
A trade with Kessel may not be on the horizon, but he will be a target for teams at the deadline and it's a move that the Maple Leafs could consider. Kessel was asked by one reporter about whether the reason Carlyle was let go, but Kessel dismissed that and was not happy about the insinuation. Kessel walked about from the media questions after that was asked of him and it came after the reporters asked if he was a "difficult guy to coach".
Cathal Kelly writes in the Globe and Mail from Toronto that the best way to get things going for the Maple Leafs is to trade Kessel. The team thought acquiring Kessel would usher in years of success and possibly a Stanley Cup, but so far that has not happened. The team now is dealing with the firing of head coach Randy Carlyle and Kelly writes that trading Kessel would help start the "overdue" rebuilding of the franchise. Kessel is having a solid year with 18 goals and 23 assists in 40 games, but overall the success of his trade for the Maple Leafs will come with playoffs success. Kessel could net the team a nice package and Kelly writes that the Maple Leafs could end up better off if they make a move.
The Maple Leafs come into this week 21-16-3 on the season and they have 45 points at fourth in the Atlantic division. The team is second in the league in scoring this year on goals per game, but they are ranked 25th in goals against. The team is looking to play more consistently and right now they are in the middle of the pack in penalty kill percentage and power play percentage. The team plays against the Capitals and the Blue Jackets next and they are looking to stay in the playoff hunt.