The Vancouver Canucks emerged as the favorites to sign veteran winger Phil Kessel. The three-time Stanley Cup champion is set to work out with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate Abbotsford Canucks and is expected to be offered a deal if everything checks out.
Canucks’ general manager Patrik Allvin confirmed that Kessel will have a workout with Abbotsford earlier this week.
“He’s going to go down there and skate for two or three days,” said Allvin. “We’ll see how he is down there and reevaluate from there.”
If Kessel ends up signing with the Canucks, it would be on a team-friendly deal. They currently have around $650,000 in free cap space.
Kessel would likely provide depth and championship experience to the Canucks’ team that feels ready to win it all this year. They are currently sitting first in the Pacific Division and have the NHL’s best record at 36-12-6.
Phil Kessel previously played with the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, and Vegas Golden Knights. He has 1,286 NHL games and 992 points under his belt while making three All-Star appearances.
Kessel spent the 2022-23 season with the Golden Knights, helping the franchise to win its first Stanley Cup. He played in all 82 regular season games, scoring 14 goals and dishing 22 assists for a total of 36 points.
