A change of scenery will do wonders for Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins special assistant Jacques Martin believes.
"I think he’s a great acquisition,” Martin told Wayne Scanlan of the Ottawa Citizen. "Toronto was looking for him to be a leader. We already have a group of leaders. No. 2, I think when you get into an environment where there is a good work ethic, you get on a team where people like (Sidney) Crosby, (Evgeni) Malkin, (Kris) Letang, (Marc-Andre) Fleury, come out early, stay on after practice, practice at a high intensity - for me, that rubs off on players."
During his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kessel was relied upon to spearhead the attack for a club that lacked the type of offensive firepower Pittsburgh possesses.
The five-time 30-goal scorer, often scrutinized in Toronto for his work ethic, has been training this offseason with fitness guru Gary Roberts, seemingly in an effort to turn over a new leaf. Playing alongside Crosby, Malkin, and Letang, there should be considerably less pressure on Kessel when he takes the ice with his new club.