The early reviews are in: Phil Kessel has been just "OK" in Pittsburgh.
This according to Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, who this past offseason pulled the trigger on a trade with the Maple Leafs that sent Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, Nick Spaling, and conditional first- and third-round picks to Toronto in exchange for the offensively gifted winger.
"Phil’s done OK," Rutherford told Michael Traikos of the Toronto Sun. "You always want more from him, because you know what the talent level is and how he can score."
Through 55 games with the Penguins, Kessel has recorded 16 goals and 19 assists, putting him on pace for the lowest full-season goal total since his sophomore year as a member of the Boston Bruins.
His shot rate and shooting percentage numbers are also down, and he's yet to really go on a serious scoring streak with his new club.
| Month | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| October | 4 | 2 |
| November | 3 | 6 |
| December | 4 | 2 |
| January | 4 | 6 |
| February | 1 | 3 |
Part of the issue was learning to play with superstar centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, according to Rutherford. While things didn't fall into place with Crosby, Kessel now seems more at home with Malkin.
"They way over-tried," Rutherford said of Crosby and Kessel playing together early in the year. "They were trying so hard to make that work. I mean they’re both great passers and every time they got the puck they would try to pass it to the other guy, even if that’s not what the play was.
"I believe if Phil went back and played with Sid, now that the experiment happened, they would play fine together. The newness has worn off. But I doubt it will end up that way, because there’s been good chemistry with Malkin and Kessel."
The Penguins are holding onto the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, and a Kessel hot streak down the stretch could be the difference between an early exit and a prolonged postseason run.
