Donnie & Dhali: Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal talking about the Vancouver Canucks interest in free agent forward Phil Kessel.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Taylor: “Okay Donnie, you asked me yesterday about Phil Kessel, but I didn’t really have an answer for you. So I checked into it. And I can tell you right now that the Vancouver Canucks still talk and discuss Kessel. They keep in contact, regular contact with his agent.
They like his experience. What he’s done in the past. He’s got a relationship with (Rick) Tocchet, (Patrik) Allvin, (Jim) Rutherford. Tocchet coached him in Arizona. Rutherford acquired him in Pittsburgh. Tocchet last week in Toronto said this of Kessel. there is value and Phil I think he can still play 100%.
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Now, the big issue. Conditioning. He has not played in eight months. He’s only played he played only four playoff games for Vegas last year when they won the Stanley Cup. That will be Kesse’sl biggest issue. Are you in shape? The number one thing Tocchet did when he got in Vancouver, Donnie, got everybody in shape.
Kessel doesn’t cost you anything. It’s a gamble, yes, but there are no assets to be given up. It’ll be a cheap price. The Kessel decision I’ve been told is not far away. Some say soon. Not sure where this goes but the Vancouver Canucks are poking around Phil Kessel.
Taylor: “And I said , he’s not a Rick Tocchet, doesn’t seem like a Rick Tocchet type of player but he’s had him a couple of times as a head coach and an assistant coach.”
Dhaliwal: “Loves him.”
Taylor: “And from what I’m told and what I said yesterday was completely wrong, which is nothing new.
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Dhaliwal: “Phil Kessel could be the guy driving this to, you know, for the interest in Vancouver. I’m not saying he’s coming to Vancouver, Kessel. I’m saying there’s interest there. Canucks keep in contact with his agent and there is interest. They talked about Phil Kessel,