Phil Kessel won't accept a trade to Minnesota because he's worried the Wild won't be a contender.
That's the latest reporting from Mike Russo, the Athletic's St. Paul-based beat writer, and it follows up his reporting a week earlier that the Wild were interested in trading Jason Zucker, an over-priced, under-performing winger, to get Kessel. In this update, Kessel has declined to add the Wild to his list of teams to which he can be traded, of which his contract allows him to choose eight.
That's a little ominous for the Penguins and Jim Rutherford, I've got to say.
Not that Kessel can't -- or won't -- be traded. As I reported 27 days ago, he's the team's No. 1 priority to move this summer. But if Kessel's going to be that picky, to the point he won't waive his clause to go to a state he knows well, where the team just went a not-all-bad 37-36-9 and where he has a good buddy in Ryan Suter ... what might that mean?
Don't misunderstand. I don't see Rutherford facing some Antonio Brown-sized challenge in moving Kessel. But there also isn't going to be some overwhelming market for a 33-year-old winger with a sizable contract and significant baggage. There are only so many teams that would be willing to add $6.8 million in average annual value under a salary cap while also being capable of competing for a Stanley Cup. Most teams with that kind of cap room -- most, not all -- are losers.
Expectations probably should be managed.
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