Phil Kessel to debut for Leafs on Tuesday
The Toronto Maple Leafs look like the worst team in the NHL so far this season, so they could use all the help they could get, and help is on the way Tuesday night against Tampa Bay in the form of Phil Kessel.
The Leafs, who have an NHL-low six points so far, are actually slight betting favorites for tonight’s game on WagerWeb.com.
Kessel was Toronto’s big offseason acquisition from Boston; he led the Bruins in goals last season with 36, but Boston didn’t want to break the bank to keep him. The 22-year-old received medical clearance to play on Tuesday after spending the last six months recovering from a shoulder injury. He will be limited to about 15 minutes of ice time but will skate on the top line with Matt Stajan and Jason Blake.
“I’d be worried if he was stumbling and bumbling and looking nervous – he doesn’t,” Leafs head coach Ron Wilson said of Kessel. “But again, he’s 22 years old and he’s only played three years in the league. I don’t care what anybody else thinks, I’m going to manage his ice time. I’ve talked to him at length about it. I’d prefer, and it changes, but mentally, right now, I told him to be ready to play 14 or 15 minutes and I want him to be honest with me if he’s tired.”
Toronto traded its first and second round picks in 2010 and their first round pick in 2011 to acquire Kessel; that means Boston could be staring a top-five pick in next year’s draft with as bad as the Leafs are (1-7-4). Toronto is this lousy despite having the second-best power play in the NHL at 28 percent. Its struggles have come mostly in goal and on the penalty kill, which are two areas in which Kessel can’t help.
“I’m excited. I’m not too nervous. I’m excited to be back and playing hockey. It’s been six months,” Kessel said.
The Maple Leafs earned their first win of the year last Monday by downing Anaheim, 6-3, and then suffered three straight OT losses, concluding with Saturday’s shootout setback in Montreal. So they have been playing better of late.
NHL Betting at WagerWeb.com
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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