Phil Kessel still on track to sign with Canucks: report
Two weeks after touching down in Vancouver, Phil Kessel is still a free agent. But for how long?
The three-time Stanley Cup winner has been working out with the Abbotsford Canucks ever since, and according to CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, he’s still on track to sign with Vancouver.
“I am not hearing anything negative when it comes to the Canucks and Kessel. He will continue to work out this week,” Dhaliwal said on Tuesday’s edition of Donnie and Dhali. “All sides want this to end with a signing. The goal is always to sign Kessel. I think that’s where it’s trending.”
"All sides want this to end with a signing.."@DhaliwalSports updates what he is hearing with Phil Kessel and also if the #Canucks are still kicking tires on Jake Guentzel.https://t.co/h4e2SKM7eJ pic.twitter.com/nYjHeZD7aH
— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) February 27, 2024
Dhaliwal said if Kessel signs, it’ll be an NHL deal, though he could play games in Abbotsford first on a conditioning stint. It’s been 17 years since Kessel last played in the AHL when he appeared in two games with Providence Bruins as a 19-year-old rookie in 2006-07.
Now 36, the Canucks are hopeful that Kessel still has some gas left in the tank. It’s been more than 10 months since his last competitive game.
Kessel did appear in all 82 regular-season games with the Vegas Golden Knights last year, potting 14 goals and 36 points. There is an opening in the Canucks’ top six at the moment, though it remains to see if Kessel can still get it done at this stage of his career.
Kessel would be a cheap, low-risk addition for the Canucks — a team with very little cap space as the March 8 trade deadline nears.
After placing Carson Soucy on LTIR, and recalling Jett Woofrom the minors, the #Canucks now have an LTI Salary pool totaling $6,525,000 of which they have $2,749,583 in usable LTI space remaining.
The club also currently has a full 23-man roster.https://t.co/lfUOjmvxOg
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) February 22, 2024