Hot Dog Man Isn't Coming to Van: Why the Canucks Didn't Sign Phil Kessel

March 17th, 2024

Zach Mason

For Canucks fans, the idea of a constant rumour always seems to be something negative, whether it’s blunder after blunder from our war room in the draft, or a disgruntled player wanting out, but the persistent rumour Canucks fans were keeping an eye on after the all-star break was one with a bit more promise. One February day, Canucks fans were greeted to news that Phil Kessel, three-time Stanley Cup champion and NHL All-Star, was working out at the facilities of the AHL affiliate 90 minutes down the road in Abbotsford, having been a free agent since the end of last season.

At first, it seemed a decision that would show some benefit to the Canucks come playoff time. Not only would the Canucks be adding a sharpshooter with plenty of playoff experience who could slot into the bottom six, plus add an offensive piece to the powerplay. Kessel also would’ve been able to skip the relationship building with front office/coaching staff that can hinder some new arrivals. 

But, as the days passed by with no news of an official signing, the negatives of the signing started to emerge at the forefront of the discussion. A player more known for lacking discipline and motor on the defensive end, Kessel likely would have found it difficult to get playing time if his shot was not rattling the netting like it used to, especially in Tocchet’s hard forechecking system. Additionally, due to all the win-now moves the Canucks have been making, they are lacking in cap space to sign all the key cogs in their machine (at the time of writing, the team has $0 in salary cap space, per CapFriendly). As a result, the front office may find it more pertinent to spend money on younger players who can fill the same role for a longer time.

Additionally, there appeared rumours of disagreements between Kessel and the front office about how Kessel would get back into playing shape. Kessel allegedly wanted a maximum two-week conditioning stint with Abbotsford before joining the main roster, whereas the front office, perhaps seeing the three-time all-star was lacking game sharpness, wanted Kessel on waivers, which allowed more flexibility, and no limit on how long Kessel could stay in the AHL.

In essence, while it would’ve been nice should it work out, it may not have been meant to be, as the negatives are a lot more likely to outweigh the positives. Despite the excitement that the official signing of Phil Kessel would have brought to the city (and the extra merchandise sales it already did), the team would more likely be better off acquiring younger, two-way focused players to fill out space on the bottom six, should a move even be made.