[Speculation] Kesler to remain a Canuck

[Jagorim Jarg]

Kesler is not the player fans, the media, the management, thinks he is. He is the best third line C in the game or a great winger and the best part of his game is playing big and taking advantage of his body size and reach, and his hits.

If he still has that shot he hasn't done much to demonstrate that since padding his stats with a bucket of powerplay goals in 2010-2011. Can't complain because nobody else on the team is scoring enough but just consider a few basic concepts: The good players in this game make others around them better. Kesler does not do this. Kesler takes the puck and tries to ram it through 3 defending players before chucking the puck at a teammate as a last ditch effort to maintain possession. Lost count of how many times that happened during transition, it's so frustrating to watch one guy trying to beat everyone by himself and failing.

Look at him for what he is. He is not a snipe shot with accuracy, in other words he's not a Perry or a Stamkos type guy, and he's not a playmaker. He got 41 goals one season and 50 assists during another and both seem to be an anomaly. He's not a guy that makes his teammates better, apparently, or the guys on his line jst don't have enough finish.

The man gets prickly when people ask him about it, and other things. He's not a thick skinned guy or a typical locker room leader. John Toews never sounds mopey or deflective, even pissy during interviews. Ryan Kesler is a great third line centre and this year we saw what he can do when the going gets rough- did he put the team on his back and go into the beast mode everyone talked about for so long? No. Seen him do it over the course of 2-3 games once or twice a year though.

The expectations on the guy are totally unrealistic, and to me anyway he's not what people think he is. If he succeeds somewhere else it will be due to other players making him more effective, something outside the scope of the big man's game he plays. He won that selke for being enthusiastic without the puck but tbh he looked uninterested this year and we've probably seen the best of him as a Canuck already. When the going gets tough , the rats flee the sinking ship, and the captain stays on board. Is Ryan the 'captain' of this team, or now that the going got rough, is he seeking a way out?

[Provost]

I honestly believe that the only veteran players who are for sure not going to get traded are the twins and Bieksa.

Significant changes have to be made... everyone has said that including Linden, you can't do that AND keep all the core players you have.

Kesler is one of the most valuable trade pieces we have, so is certainly a candidate to be moved.

I disagree that Kesler is a heart and soul player on this club. He has the ability to carry a team all on his own in beast-mode, and he has the ability to entirely change the demeanor of the rest of the team when he decides to start diving and whining to the officials. I have never seen him in beast-mode make the rest of our team do the same, but I have seen many occasions when his diving and complaining has become contagious to the rest of the lineup.

He has had MANY linemates and he has never made any of them better, finding the right wingers for him has been impossible so far and continuing to try to shape a line around him is problematic as you just keep having to experiment with no real way to gauge success until you have blown half a season.

The twins are untouchable because Trevor knows they will hang in the rafters beside him in the near future and wouldn't likely be part of sending them out of town (a la Keenan)..

Bieksa is a real heart and soul player who you want to keep. If it weren't too late and damage would be done by removing the C from Henrik... Bieksa should be Captain. There are a handful of guys in the whole league who would do something like what he did during that Calgary game and try to protect a rookie like Lain from being beaten... Bieksa knew he woud be overmatched and get hammered in a fight, but chose to do it anyways. It sounds easier than it is in reality.... go find a 6'4, 240lb guy and ask him to punch you in the face a bunch of times and then judge the courage of Bieksa on that score.

[Mr.53]

Holmgren: I will not buyout Bryzgalov. I gave Carter and Richards NTC's and I plan to honour them

Yzerman: St Louis is a Bolt for life. I have no plans to exercise a buyout on Lecavelier

Gillis: Schneider is our #1

Sundin: I will retire a Leaf

See the pattern. People say things ALL the time in this league

well played….

[Mr.53]

Kesler is the type of player you build your team around and not trade. Also at 5 million for 2 more years I believe, he is the guy we should build around. But, every player has a price. Unless significant return given, Kesler better not be traded.

[stawns]

Kesler is the type of player you build your team around and not trade. Also at 5 million for 2 more years I believe, he is the guy we should build around. But, every player has a price. Unless significant return given, Kesler better not be traded.

we'll agree to disagree on that one. Though I like a lot of things he does on the ice, he is, inherently, a selfish player. Off the ice, though it is purely opinion based on 40 years of being a part of hockey teams, I see Kesler as someone I probably wouldn't enjoy being a teammate with. Now, that's purely my opinion, and in no way substantiated.......just a gut feeling about him.

If I'm rebuilding around anyone it's Kass, Lack and Tanev

[Westcoasting]

Kesler is the type of player you build your team around and not trade. Also at 5 million for 2 more years I believe, he is the guy we should build around. But, every player has a price. Unless significant return given, Kesler better not be traded.

That's what people said about Joe Niewendyk when the flames traded him for a prospect named Iginla...after a couple years no one cared about Joe anymore.

[RonMexico]

Players that I think have some questions marks regarding character and locker room issues

Kes

Burr

Bieksa

I think those three might have a bit of a clique going, and I think Luongo was probably part of that group. They are the most likely, in my opinion, to be vets most likely to be moved.

Although its baseless speculation, I like it. Too many fans are emotionally tied to these guys. I have good memories too but it doesn't cloud my judgement. This is a good time for this team to be re-branded. You can't do that with the stale core Torts referred to.

[CanuckFan1981]

As for Kes, give him his damn winger already!!!! : @

That's what they said about Iggy in Calgary for years before hitting the rebuild button.... "just get him a center and were good..." uhhh, no, no your not Flames fan.... and now we can say that about ourselves... If Kes wants out and we get a good return do it... if he wants to stay for the long haul, keep him, he is a great player and can carry his line on his shoulders.

[shiznak]

That's what people said about Joe Niewendyk when the flames traded him for a prospect named Iginla...after a couple years no one cared about Joe anymore.

But....but....Niedwendyk won a cup for Dallas.

[Absent Canuck]

Kesler is clearly hedging his bets. He's saying all the right things to the media because if no trade happens he doesn't want to be viewed as that guy who doesn't really want to be here. I'm convinced that if the right deal was presented to him, he'd take the first flight out of town.

Wouldnt you after the 'i hate the Canadian Olympic team ' earned him a year of media pain?

[Henrik Kesler]

Kesler is the type of player you build your team around and not trade. Also at 5 million for 2 more years I believe, he is the guy we should build around. But, every player has a price. Unless significant return given, Kesler better not be traded.

Actually, he's exactly the kind of player you trade. He's regressed, signifcantly, but is still head and shoulders better than 90% of the players he's comparable too. He's got huge trade value because teams will take a risk hoping that he can return to 'beastmode.'

Sell high while everyone still thinks the 'beast' is still in there, not after everyone in the NHL knows that it isn't.

[HockeyHound93]

If he truly does want to be here and try to help get this team back into the playoffs I am totally fine with it. That being said, if there is a good offer on the table that has some nice pieces in it that would help the team in the long run I'd take it. This team can't remain exactly the same if they expect to be cup contenders every year. It's pretty obvious this team has been steadily declining the past few years. Torts is right when he said this team is stale and needs to get younger to keep up with rest of the league.

[Sergei Shirokov]

What do you guys think of a Loui Ericsson - Ryan Kesler trade. Same age, same cap hit. I think Ericsson would really like it here, and he said he'd love to play with the sedins. And Kesler seems like he'd fit in with the Bruins Style.

If Benning is indeed coming here, there is routes within the bruins front office that could pave a way for a deal. Boston would also probably be a team Kesler would waive his NTC to.

[asian player]

What do you guys think of a Loui Ericsson - Ryan Kesler trade. Same age, same cap hit. I think Ericsson would really like it here, and he said he'd love to play with the sedins. And Kesler seems like he'd fit in with the Bruins Style.

If Benning is indeed coming here, there is routes within the bruins front office that could pave a way for a deal. Boston would also probably be a team Kesler would waive his NTC to.

I would only like to see Kesler traded if it was for a rebuild. If not, he should stay to mentor guys like Horvat and Gaunce

[Henrik Kesler]

I would only like to see Kesler traded if it was for a rebuild. If not, he should stay to mentor guys like Horvat and Gaunce

You really think Kesler is going to be a better mentor than the Sedins? I don't see him being good with the youngsters. I see him being terrible with them.

[Canuck Surfer]

Kesler will be amongst the most prized acquisitions next deadline and in 2016.

In the meantime, we are not better anytime before that with the prospects and picks we receive in return. I say let him groom Horvat, Mathias, Gaunce and Cassels. And note Kassian appears ready to grab a role with either the Twins or Kesler and Higgins next year. See the next paragraph, we have some talent that should add some scoring and excitement?

Next year we add size and athleticism full time in Mathias, Horvat and Jensen. We can also test whether Shinkaruk might be ready. Save any cap space we have, aprox $5 mill, for a potential trade. If we're on track we can make a trade for some finishing touches. And draft a PMD prospect.

If I'm wrong and we're not on track we can still get virtually the same return next year, and will get another decent draft pick.

[Nino]

I would only like to see Kesler traded if it was for a rebuild. If not, he should stay to mentor guys like Horvat and Gaunce

Not sure if he should be mentor anyone.

[zverta]

I hope Kesler stays. I'd rather see the Sedins go and build a new core around Kesler and a few others.

This team needs to clean the cubboard a little of some horrible contracts from the Gillis regime. Remove all the veteran depth players and insert some kids to grow along with the core.

At this point the core should be:

Forwards: Kesler, D.Sedin, H.Sedin

Defenceman: Hamhuis, Bieksa

Get rid of clutter contracts like: Booth, Higgins, Hansen, Burrows, etc. and give the kids some playing time.

[CookieCrumbs]

Would rather see Burrows gone than Kesler.

[Me_]

Pretty sure AV said Schneider was our #1.

Pretty sure Fillis said Schneider was #1.