Mike Komisarek Thrilled He Won’t Have to Be Leafs’ Top Scorer

Brian Burke made good on his promise.

Through a trade with the Boston Bruins for a first and second-round pick in 2010 and a first-round pick in 2011, the Maple Leafs acquired a top-six forward in Phil Kessel.

Phil Kessel scored 36 goals in 70 games with the Boston Bruins last year. He is a legitimate goal-scoring threat and a definite upgrade on any other Leafs forwards. The Toronto offense was anemic before the acquisition, to say the least.

The only problem: Does he really fit Burke’s profile?

Burkey has been adamant about acquiring rugged, solid players. Mike Komisarek, Garnet Exelby, and Francois Beauchemin certainly fit the bill. I’m not exactly sure that Kessel can keep up with this style of hard-nosed play, though.

He has proven that he can come back from overwhelming adversity, I’ll give him that. After his bout with testicular cancer, Kessel took his game to another level—the level he was expected to play at after being drafted fifth overall in the  2006 NHL Entry Draft.

After honing his defensive game after two less-than-responsible seasons, he was rewarded with a torn rotator cuff. He is expected to be out of action until November. He’ll then have to attempt to build chemistry with linemates that have been playing without him for a month.

Not an easy task.

Kessel was injured while attempting to play tough. While giving it his all, he over-extended himself and paid a price for it. I find it very difficult to believe that a player who has already had to overcome so much will shuffle the deck and go after the brass ring for a third time.

There is no doubt that Kessel will score goals this season. He’s a speedy natural, there’s no taking away from that. But how will Ron Wilson and Brian Burke react to a player who has a history of not giving it his all and may revert to old habits?

Kessel was, after all, benched for three games in the Bruins’ playoff loss against the Montreal Canadiens in 2008. No grit on his part, but it’s tough to blame him.

Personally, I wouldn’t expect him to be all that gritty with a wonky shoulder after surgery; he may be hesitant to go into the corners, it’s only natural.

No one, including Wilson or Burke, expects Kessel to deliver bone-crushing hits and block shots. Those roles are reserved for the big boys on the blue line. I do think that it would be favourable for the Leafs and their fans if their forwards contributed on the defensive side of things.

I’ve witnessed first-hand what it’s like when forwards dance around in the neutral zone waiting for the puck while plays are being formed the other way. It sure ain’t pretty.

The Kessel experiment is a five-year affair, and I don’t expect it to be all roses in the first one. Even if he scores 30 goals, he may be responsible for 35 coming from the opposition. I don’t think the kid is yet ready to take the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Pun intended.

Some Other Articles That You May Enjoy:
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Weighing The Maple Leafs Options As Deadline Day Nears (Part One)
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Identity Crisis

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