Kessel Is The Real Deal

Obviously, the trade for Kessel will spark debate for a long time. Did we give up too much for him? Are we sacrificing the future? And certainly there are arguments for both sides. When Burke came in we were led to believe that the team was going to take a whole new approach to create a winning team... build through the draft (as opposed to signing veteran's well past their prime).

The Keseel trade was Burke's first big move and seems to be the exact opposite of the goal of building through the draft. Because of this, there will always be people that say we gave up too much.

But man, this guy is good. The speed, the quick hands... really the only thing the Leaf have going for them (other than the sometimes productive Hagman). Kessel has now appeared in 14 games, has 13 points, and has done so with no stars (like Marc Savard) to help the production. Imagine his potential if the Leafs sign a legit first line centre.

I have to admit I was skeptical at first. I thought there was a chance he would pull a Raycroft and end up being useless. But this guy is legit. And watching him feed Matt Stajan a beauty pass to put the final nail in the coffin in a win over Montreal has made me a big fan.

- Daniel