Free-agent winger Phil Kessel still fully intends on playing in 2024-25 — though whether it’s in the NHL remains to be seen, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast (audio link).
As Friedman notes, Kessel was one of the players that Major League Hockey, a 3-on-3 league hoping to start operations later this year, approached about signing with a team before the league postponed its launch to Oct. 2025. It doesn’t appear an NHL professional tryout or guaranteed contract is imminent for him, either.
Kessel is a three-time All-Star Game participant and a three-time Stanley Cup champion but was out of the NHL last season after playing with the Golden Knights in 2022-23. He posted 14 goals and 36 points in 82 games, his lowest total offensive output since his rookie season, before going unsigned for all of 2023-24. He was close to inking a deal with the Canucks at the trade deadline, but it fell through due to a lack of cap space.
With a full year off from the game, the NHL’s active and all-time consecutive games played leader is likely a fringe bottom-six scorer or No. 13 forward at best on most teams. If Kessel is willing to risk losing his ironman streak of 1,064 games, which is only at risk of being passed by the Hurricanes’ Brent Burns (843), he’ll have an easier time landing a deal.
Kessel hasn’t been off the ice since winning the Cup with Vegas over a year ago, though. He’s kept in a standard training routine and practiced with the Canucks’ farm club in Abbotsford in the lead-up to his potential deadline deal.