Phil Kessel is currently under contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs through the 2021-22 season, however there are whispers that the star forward may be on the move sooner rather than later.

It was rumoured that Montreal was among the teams that Kessel listed he would accept a trade to, and today McKenzie reiterated his assumption.

There's going to be considerable (trade) speculation, obviously, about the futures of Phil Kessel and many more Maple Leafs leading up to the draft. Toronto is looking to rebuild and the Leafs' veteran core players will generate varying degrees of interest. Most of them have limited no-trade clauses. Kessel's limited NTC is believed to include eight teams he can be traded to. Prior to the trade deadline, TSN reported those eight teams were believed to be: Boston; Chicago; Los Angeles; Minnesota; Montreal; New York Rangers; Philadelphia; and Pittsburgh.

Of course, considering Kessel's $8M salary cap hit, it's clear that the Habs would have to move one or two players to make it a realistic option. For a team that's starved for offense, it may be a deal worth exploring.