Canadian team remains interested in signing Phil Kessel

It's been just over seven months since veteran forward and three-time Stanley Cup champion Phil Kessel became an unrestricted free agent and it's still unclear if he'll find a new NHL home anytime soon.

Kessel wants to play in the NHL this season and has reportedly said to be willing to take a lesser role and understands if he won't be in the lineup every night.

Just before Christmas, reports emerged that Kessel was potentially looking at options in Europe, most likely Switzerland, just to get some game action and remain ready when an NHL team came calling, but nothing ever materialized.

One team that reportedly had interest in Kessel dating back to last summer was the Vancouver Canucks and now, as Patrik Allvin looks to make one or two more minor additions to his roster before a run towards the Stanley Cup, they're still interested in the 36-year-old.


Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV said in a post on X on Thursday that the Canucks are still "poking around" on Phil Kessel.


Kessel, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, won his third Stanley Cup last season while with the Vegas Golden Knights. In 82 games during the regular season, Kessel put up 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists), 30 penalty minutes and was a minus-seven. He added two assists in four games during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It'll be interesting to see if the Canucks, or any other team, manage to land Phil Kessel before 3 p.m. on Friday, March 8th, which is the deadline for players to be on an NHL roster for playoff eligibility.