Phil Kessel is in Vancouver to meet with the Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks may be adding to their forward group soon.
Veteran winger Phil Kessel is in town to meet with the club, according to a report from CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal. The Canucks have since confirmed Kessel’s arrival, with GM Patrik Allvin saying in a team-released statement: “Phil has made his way to Vancouver and will be working out in Abbotsford this week.”
Phil Kessel is in Vancouver to meet with the #Canucks.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) February 14, 2024
Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin on Phil Kessel:
“Phil has made his way to Vancouver and will be working out in Abbotsford this week. “
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 14, 2024
Dhaliwal’s report came soon after fans spotted Kessel in town.
Confirmed pic.twitter.com/mlmTQFyBAY
— rs24 (@RSFort24) February 14, 2024
Kessel will have a “meet and greet” with Canucks management per Dhaliwal. There hasn’t been a contract agreed upon at this point in time.
It was reported last week that the Canucks have stayed in constant contact with Kessel’s agent throughout the year.
The 36-year-old has a long history of being an offensive contributor at the NHL level. He has 992 career points and scored 14 goals and 36 points in 82 games with the Vegas Golden Knights last season.
He’s a right-handed shot that’s known for his goal-scoring ability. He also owns the league’s longest streak of consecutive games played at 1,064.
Kessel has won three Stanley Cups, including one with the Golden Knights and two with the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the Canucks gearing up for a playoff run, that postseason experience is invaluable.
Because he’s a free agent, adding Kessel wouldn’t cost the Canucks any assets beyond cap space.
Much of the Canucks upper management — including Jim Rutherford, Patrik Allvin, and Rick Tocchet — has worked with Kessel in the past. Tocchet, who was an assistant coach with the Penguins when Kessel was in Pittsburgh, was nicknamed the “Kessel whisperer” for his work with him.
“There’s value in Phil, I think he can still play, 100%,” said the Canucks head coach in a Sportsnet article by Luke Fox posted after the NHL All-Star Weekend.
We will just have to wait and see where this goes, but there is a chance that Kessel will join the team sometime soon. The Canucks finish their current road trip in Chicago tonight before returning home to face the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.