Report: Penguins still want to trade Kessel before free agency begins

The Phil Kessel saga is seemingly never-ending.

The Pittsburgh Penguins remain interested in trading Kessel, preferably before free agency begins on July 1, sources told The Athletic's Rob Rossi. This comes less than a month after general manager Jim Rutherford said it was unlikely he would deal the winger.

Kessel is signed for three more years with a $6.8-million cap hit and can veto a trade to all but eight teams of his choosing.

Sources told Rossi they believe Kessel's eight-team list includes five which the Penguins would never trade him to, along with three others that can't afford his cap hit. He reportedly used his no-trade clause to nix a move to the Minnesota Wild in May for a return that would've been headlined by Jason Zucker.

Rossi adds that Pittsburgh's desire to trade Kessel stems from a rift with head coach Mike Sullivan. The 31-year-old wants to play on the club's second line, centered by Evgeni Malkin, but Sullivan occasionally drops Kessel down to the third line when the two aren't clicking. Separating Kessel and Malkin worked marvelously during Pittsburgh's Cup run in 2016 when the winger anchored the "HBK" line with Nick Bonino and Carl Hagelin.

Some also think Kessel is partially at fault for Malkin's declining defensive play over the past two seasons. Sources told Rossi that they believe Malkin has picked up some of Kessel's bad defensive habits, including "inconsistent backchecking, inattentiveness regarding own-zone responsibilities, and poor puck management in the neutral zone."

Off the ice, Sullivan and other staff believe Kessel would be a better player - and set an example for younger Penguins players - if he showed a "greater commitment to fitness," sources told Rossi.

Furthermore, Kessel's status as a regular at a local casino was apparently not viewed as an issue until younger players, including Jake Guentzel, started joining him there on days before games, which other players were told was frowned upon.

Kessel hasn't missed a game since the 2009-10 season. He tallied 45 points in 49 playoff games during Pittsburgh's two Stanley Cup triumphs and has enjoyed the best two-year stretch of his career during the last couple of seasons, during which he's registered 174 points in 164 games.