Phil Kessel: Traded To Penguins

The Maple Leafs traded Kessel, Tyler Biggs, Tim Erixon and a 2016 second-round pick to Pittsburgh on Wednesday in exchange for Nick Spaling, Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington and first- and third-round draft picks in 2016, Sportsnet.ca reports.

Analysis:

Kessel, who is coming off a season in which he notched 25 goals and 61 points in 82 games with the Leafs to go along with a minus-34 rating, should benefit greatly from the change of scenery. While some may question his level of fitness and tenacity at times, Kessel remains a premier sniper at the NHL level, and given his new team context, a 2015-16 bounce-back seems like a probable outcome for the 27-year-old, who is a dynamic talent when he is on top of his game. Contract-wise, Kessel is in the second year of an eight-year deal that carries an average salary cap hit of $8 million per season, but the Leafs will retain 15 percent of that ($1.2 million) for each season remaining on the contract. The Pens' hit is just $6.8 million annually.