[link_box id=”22277″ site_id=”17″ layout=”link-box-third” alignment=”alignright”]In an excellent piece on The Player’s Tribune, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford discussed the organization’s impressive Stanley Cup season. One of the main points Rutherford talked about was acquiring Phil Kessel. The winger received criticism in Toronto for his leadership abilities and perceived weight issues. Rutherford determined Kessel deserved a second chance, admitting his goal-scoring prowess overshadowed any other noise about his demeanor.

“The Kessel decision ultimately came down to a simple fact about the NHL that never seems to change: It’s hard to score goals in this league. It’s just hard. But Phil was a guy who had scored them year after year. He had been in a fishbowl in Toronto and he still scored 30 every year. I felt if we gave him a second chance, he’d really thrive in Pittsburgh.”

Rutherford wrote he instantly knew Kessel was more than just a good guy, he was a “great guy.” The Penguins GM said the Penguins wouldn’t have won the Stanley cup without Phil. Kessel turned out to be a heck of an acquisition for Rutherford and Pittsburgh. He was a Conn Smyth favorite with 10 goals, 12 assists, and 22 points in 24 playoff games, stats which were accumulated while dealing with injuries.

Kessel was routinely killed (unfairly) by certain mainstream media members in Toronto. But, on the surface, he was an elite goal-scorer. The risk of personality issues proved incorrect and Kessel turned out to be the last puzzle piece for the Penguins. Rutherford needed goal scoring and Kessel provided that, and some.

[The Players Tribune]