Phil Kessel wanted out of Boston. He made it very clear. He wasn’t the type of player that the Bruins organization was fond of either, a lot of skill, but a lack of toughness. As a result, Boston wanted Kessel gone as well. Toronto was in search of some firepower on offense, and they were willing to spare some high draft picks to get it. The Bruins decided to ship Kessel north of the border for three draft picks- a first and second round pick in 2010, and a first round pick in 2011.
With that first round pick in the 2010 draft, which ended up being the second overall, the Bruins selected talented forward Tyler Seguin. Seguin scored just 11 goals as a rookie, but played a big role in the Bruins run at their first championship in 39 years, the highlight of his season being a two goal effort against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Two years after the deal, Kessel leads the National Hockey League in points and goals, with 12 goals and 12 assists, 24 points if you can’t do simple math. Seguin is right behind him at fourth, 20 points, with 11 goals, which already matches his rookie total, and nine assists. These players have each been instrumental to their team’s success so far this season. The Maple Leafs lead the Northeast Divison with 21 points, while the Bruins sit in fourth place with 16 points. Boston has managed to overcome a sluggish start, however. The Black & Gold have won five in a row, including three wins over Northeastern Division teams. Seguin has scored a goal in four of those five victories, including a hat trick in Toronto against Phil Kessel and the Leafs last weekend. Seguin had another multi-goal game last night against the Buffalo Sabers.
While Kessel has not play
ed well against his former team, 7 points in 13 games, he has made a difference for the first place Maple Leafs. Seguin continues to get better with every shift, making the end result of this blockbuster deal a whole lot of fun for hockey fans.
