Flyers acquire Kessel

[flyersfan4706]

Blake Kessel signs entry-level contract with Philadelphia Flyers - Broad Street Hockey

The Philadelphia Flyers announced earlier on Wednesday that Joonas Lehtivuori had cleared waivers, paving the way for a release from his entry-level contract. We're going to guess that that's completed now, because Paul Holmgren just announced that the Flyers have signed Blake Kessel to an entry-level deal of his own.

Kessel, who was just invited to Training Camp and has been working out this week at the Skate Zone, becomes the organization's 50th contract, thus putting them right back at the upper limit. That means that, without shedding even more contracts via buyout or trade or whatever, the Flyers can't sign Sean Couturier or Michael Nylander or Adam Mair or any other player that currently doesn't have a contract with the team.

As for Kessel, I'm not going to pretend I know a ton about him. He is indeed the brother of Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel, and he was drafted by the New York Islanders in the sixth round of the 2007 draft. Unlike his brother, he's a defenseman. He took the college route, playing his Division 1 hockey at the University of New Hampshire from 2008 to this past season.

Yes, he did play with James van Riemsdyk during the 2008-09 season at UNH, when JvR was a sophomore and Kessel was a freshman. That year, Reemer was the Wildcats' leading scorer, putting up 17 goals and 23 assists in 36 games, while Kessel topped out at six goals and seven assists in 37 games. The following year, Kessel's sophomore season at UNH (and thus a bit more of a fair comparison to JvR's second year), he put up 10 goals and 28 assists in 38 games.

His goal scoring fell off the map in his junior year this past season, but he's a defenseman, so it's not like that's a huge deal. Unfortunately, I have no clue how he was used at UNH, but according to Hockey's Future, he was converted to defense during his USHL days and he still likes to jump up into the play offensively. That would explain the point-per-game pace at UNH in '09-'10.



He opted to leave college after his junior year. If he stayed all four years at UNH, he would have been property of the Islanders until August 15 of next summer. But since he left early, that all changes. College players that fail to finish all four years of school become unrestricted free agents on June 1 of the fourth year following their draft year. If you've been following along, that means that Kessel used a loophole in the CBA, left college early, and became a free agent on June 1, 2011. Bye bye, Islanders.

Now, he's in Flyers camp with a team that needs defensive prospects. Not a bad place to be. Apparently they like Kessel enough to give him a contract, and now Kessel has a huge opportunity. He'll likely be with the Phantoms now that he has a contract, and we can't possibly gauge how he'll do at that level. The Flyers gave him an opportunity today, and we'll see what he does with it.

Here's the official press release from the team:

Who wants Lilja?

 

[PhillyPhaithful48]

Don't you dare do that to me EVER AGAIN

 

[flyersfan4706]

Don't you dare do that to me EVER AGAIN

Sorry Daddy

 

[PhillyPhaithful48]

Also....why the f are we signing more contracts????

 

[flyersfan4706]

I guess for the Phantoms? Id take him over Lilja everyday of the week though.

More importantly, WHY THE FUCK DID WE SIGN BACASHIHUA?!?!?!?!

 

[Automattic]

I guess for the Phantoms? Id take him over Lilja everyday of the week though.

More importantly, WHY THE FUCK DID WE SIGN BACASHIHUA?!?!?!?![/QUOTE]


Because you're Philly and he's a goalie?

 

[SLY]

I guess for the Phantoms? Id take him over Lilja everyday of the week though.

More importantly, WHY THE FUCK DID WE SIGN BACASHIHUA?!?!?!?!

Is that a new breed of dog?

 

[flyersfan4706]

Because you're Philly and he's a goalie?

Only a matter of time before Bryz and Bob go down

Is that a new breed of dog?

Not in this case...

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

He used the Wheeler rule to becom an UFA. It sucks for my team, but what are you going to do.

 

[puckhead]

Is that a new breed of dog?

 

[IPostedWhat]

With a name like that, he better have some balls.

 

[PhillyPhaithful48]

I guess for the Phantoms? Id take him over Lilja everyday of the week though.

More importantly, WHY THE FUCK DID WE SIGN BACASHIHUA?!?!?!?!

Yea but my concern is we are at 50 contracts....again


Can't sign Couturier if he is a stud a camp. Can't sign anyone unless we dump contracts.

 

[recon]

With a name like that, he better have some balls.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Yea but my concern is we are at 50 contracts....again


Can't sign Couturier if he is a stud a camp. Can't sign anyone unless we dump contracts.

Gee I guess the Flyers will have to move one of their 10 goalies.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Okay take this for what it's worth I don't know, but according to an article about Kessel that I read on the Isles fan site G Joonas Lehtivuori who left the Phantoms in the middle of the season last year to return to Europe is going to be released from his contract within the next week so the Flyers will be at 49.

 

[recon]

That is true, and they signed Kessel to make it 50 contracts.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

That is true, and they signed Kessel to make it 50 contracts.

Okay so they dumped the goalie so they could sign Kessel. So who gets dumped if Couturier has a good camp? Another year in the Q isn't going to do him much good anyway.

Is their a roster spot available if Couturier has a good camp?

 

[awaz]

Okay so they dumped the goalie so they could sign Kessel. So who gets dumped if Couturier has a good camp? Another year in the Q isn't going to do him much good anyway.

Is their a roster spot available if Couturier has a good camp?

well if he plays really well he can play on the 3rd line with schenn and simmonds (most likely), pushing talbot to the 4th and shelley to the scratch sheet..

but i think couturier playing on the 3rd line is probably behind wellwood or rinaldo playing on the 4th line..

long story short, couturier would have to straight destroy in camp to make the team i think

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

well if he plays really well he can play on the 3rd line with schenn and simmonds (most likely), pushing talbot to the 4th and shelley to the scratch sheet..

but i think couturier playing on the 3rd line is probably behind wellwood or rinaldo playing on the 4th line..

long story short, couturier would have to straight destroy in camp to make the team i think

I guess it's a numbers game. The Flyers have so much depth up front that their just isn't a spot for Couturier. I imagine he will be so bummed if he has to go back to the Q for another year.

 

[Vadered]

Not like we have anywhere to put Cout-zie anyway. He's 18 and can't play in the AHL. He's not going to develop playing 7 minutes a night with Shelley. Leave him in the Q and let him score 200 points in 70 games and maybe learn to hit more and skate better, and then bring him up next year.