There have been multiple reports that Phil Kessel was considering, or that he may have already signed a contract to play next season as a member of the Edmonton Oilers. Rumours stated that the Oilers were simply looking to clear cap space to make the move work. But after signing Kailer Yamamoto, Jesse Puljujarvi and Tyler Benson there doesn't appear to be any money left over.
Now it seems that Kessel may have begun to grow impatient with waiting. According to Mike Rupp, former player and current NHL Analyst, Kessel could end up being a fit with the Florida Panthers. After acquiring Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers are still in need of adding some depth goal scoring.
After the failed attempt to get Joe Thornton a Stanley Cup, it appears that the Panthers could be turning to a 2-time Stanley Cup Champion. Not only does Kessel add goals on the ice, he also possesses a quiet leadership off of it.
The only issue that teams could face with signing Kessel is his Ironman Streak, which currently sits at 982 games. Kessel sits 7 games behind Keith Yandle for all-time consecutive games played and just 18 games shy of 1000.
Kessel takes great pride in this streak, to the point he even left his pregnant wife to play a single shift to maintain his streak. It will be very interesting to see where Kessel ends up and how this streak could impact the number of suitors he has.
