Just about a year after trading Bo Horvat, firing Bruce Boudreau and coming very close to hitting rock bottom in 2022-23, the Vancouver Canucks look like a completely different team this season.
With Rick Tocchet leading the charge, the 2023-24 Canucks are a remarkable 34-12-5, good enough for first place in the Western Conference and tied with the Boston Bruins in the President's Trophy race.
As the phenomenal campaign continues — and with Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov now in the fold — general manager Patrik Allvin might not be finished.
The Canucks are being linked to three-time Stanley Cup champion Phil Kessel, according to hockey insider Rick Dhaliwal.
Should the Canucks sign Kessel?
It was reported at the end of January that Kessel's camp had been in contact with a few teams, and it looks like one of them is based in British Columbia. The 36-year-old has been skating and remains an intriguing option on the free agent board.
“I can tell you right now that the Vancouver Canucks still talk and discuss Kessel. They keep in regular contact with his agent. They like his experience,” asserted Dhaliwal earlier this week.
“Rick Tocchet said this about him last week in Toronto: ‘There's value in Phil, I think he can still play 100%.' The Kessel decision, I'm told, is not far away. Some say soon… But the Canucks are poking around on Phil Kessel.”
The NHL's Ironman has amassed 413 goals and 992 points over 1,286 regular-season games for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Phoenix Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights.
Kessel would certainly be an interesting add to the Canucks lineup, but it raises the question of where he would play. Unlikely to crack the top-six, and with the third line an excellent surprise this season — Conor Garland, Dakota Joshua and Teddy Blueger have been fantastic — it doesn't leave a lot of room.
Phil Kessel's conditioning a question mark
The other question is whether Kessel is in NHL shape.
“The big issue is conditioning. He has not played in eight months,” continued Dhaliwal. “That will be Kessel's biggest issue: Are you in shape? The No. 1 thing Tocchet did when he got to Vancouver? Get everyone in shape.”
Phil Kessel hasn't played since April of 2024, early in the Golden Knights' Stanley Cup run. He only played two games in the 2024 postseason.
But the Ironman streak remains alive at 1,024 games, and it's clear this player still thinks he can compete at the National Hockey League level. Whether or not it's with the Canucks or a different club, it looks like the 17-year veteran could be back in the show soon.
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