It appears Phil Kessel has worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh.
According to a report from The Athletic, the Penguins are looking to deal the scoring winger. Pittsburgh and the Minnesota Wild were reportedly in the process of a trade that would primarily send Jason Zucker to the Steel City and Kessel to Minnesota, where he played one year of college hockey. But Kessel, who has a no-move clause in his contract, apparently nixed the deal.
Without getting inside Kessel's head, we can't know exactly which teams might interest him, but if we assume that he would prefer to be traded to a win-now team or a team that is ready to take the next step toward being a Stanley Cup contender in 2019-20, we can cut down potential locations to about half the league. Subtract teams in the Metro Division and teams that can't afford to acquire him and fit him under the cap, and we get the following list of franchises that make the most sense for a Kessel deal.
Florida Panthers
The case for adding Kessel: For years the Panthers have been dubbed a potential breakout team because of their young core of high draft picks. Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau each cleared the 90-point threshold this season, and 25-year-old Vincent Trocheck has established himself as an offensive threat. A move last offseason for winger Mike Hoffman gave Florida more firepower, but depth scoring remains a serious issue. The top-scoring Panther forward behind Barkov, Huberdeau, Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov produced just 39 points (Frank Vatrano).
While the Panthers still put together an above-average offensive attack overall, finishing ninth in total goals, slotting Kessel into the second line would make them one of the most dangerous scoring teams in the NHL. With goaltending that could still be spotty and a group of defensemen that won't be mistaken for the 1990s Devils, Florida will need to play a high-scoring brand of hockey to win. They have the pieces in place to do so if they can add one more dynamic scorer.
What a deal could look like: The Panthers can sweeten any pot with draft picks. They own Pittsburgh's second, Edmonton's third and three fourth-round selections this year. Florida also has players who might intrigue the Penguins, including Vatrano, who scored 25 goals, and 2016 first-round pick Henrik Borgstrom. It might look like the Panthers would be veering off course by moving a younger player for Kessel, but the team has made the playoffs just twice this century, so being aggressive while Barkov and Huberdeau are at their peak makes sense.
What could get in the way: Pittsburgh might be looking for established scorers in return. The Panthers wouldn't benefit much from moving out a point producer like Trocheck or Hoffman in exchange for an older version. Kessel could also shut down a potential deal based on Florida's recent history.
Dallas Stars
The case for adding Kessel: With a top line made up of forwards who produced 89 total goals, you wouldn't expect the Stars to have finished 29th in the NHL in scoring. But they received little help outside of Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov. In fact, the top scoring forward beyond the three stars was Radek Faksa, with 30 points. The additions of Andrew Cogliano and Mats Zuccarello during the season were too little, too late for the Stars, who made the postseason and reached the second round largely on the back of goalie Ben Bishop.
As Jason Spezza comes off the books, the Stars will have the cap space to afford Kessel -- and the desire to find an instant solution to their scoring problem. It doesn't seem like all that long ago that Seguin was an up-and-coming superstar, but he's now 27 years old. Benn turns 30 this summer, Radulov soon will be 33 and Bishop turns 33 next November. With a veteran core, the clock is ticking on the Stars to reach a Stanley Cup Final. An all-in move like trading for Kessel wouldn't be much different from Pittsburgh's choice to acquire him in 2015.
What a deal could look like: The Stars do not have much in the way of forwards or draft picks to send back to Pittsburgh, but they do have an impressive pen of defensemen. Dallas probably would surely balk at the idea of giving up 19-year-old blueliner Miro Heiskanen, but a player like Esa Lindell would be enticing to a Penguins team that played Jack Johnson nearly 20 minutes per game last season.
What could get in the way: Dallas' lack of skilled centers might make a trade pretty unappealing to Kessel in comparison to playing alongside Evgeni Malkin -- that is, of course, unless he's promised a spot with Seguin and Benn. The Penguins could also be seeking a younger scorer in any deal, and the Stars simply do not have one to move.
Colorado Avalanche
The case for adding Kessel: In terms of high-paced, fun-to-watch hockey, you won't find many teams that compete with the Avalanche. The top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog pushed the Avs into the top 10 in scoring by combining for 106 goals. With MacKinnon on the ice, Colorado managed a 59.3 goals-for percentage. With him on the bench, that number dropped to 45.5 percent. Like the Stars, there is a secondary scoring problem for the Avalanche.
The Avs have a number of solid pieces such as Carl Soderberg, Alexander Kerfoot and J.T. Compher beyond their top three, but nobody within the stratosphere of Kessel in terms of offensive skill. Adding one more dangerous scorer/playmaker to the mix could be the difference between a second-round out and the Stanley Cup Final in 2020.
What a deal could look like: Like the Stars, the Avalanche have more movable parts on the defensive side. Tyson Barrie is a longtime favorite on the rumor mill, and Erik Johnson is set to make $6 million per season over the next three years (he has a no-move clause). But Colorado has veterans they could deal in Matt Calvert and Colin Wilson, along with two first-round picks this year (the earlier of which is not being traded).
What could get in the way: With the fourth overall pick coming via Ottawa, the Avalanche might feel there isn't a strong incentive to make a deal for a veteran scorer. Both MacKinnon and Rantanen are under 24 years old, and Landeskog won't turn 27 until next November. They may believe chasing Erik Karlsson in free agency or simply letting the young guns grow together are better options, given that they may get an NHL-ready player with that No. 4 pick this summer.
Chicago Blackhawks
The case for adding Kessel: While Chicago hockey fans are probably thrilled to be picking third in the upcoming draft, the Blackhawks are not in a position to wait around for the next wave of prospects to reach their peaks. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are still in superstar mode, combining for 191 points this season, and Alex DeBrincat has quickly become one of the league's most exciting young players after scoring 41 goals this season. With Dylan Strome showing signs of life after he came over in trade, the Blackhawks shouldn't feel very far away from the top of the Central. But they need another piece.
Chicago finished eighth in total goals in 2019-20 and second worst in goals allowed, which might naturally point you toward it needing defensive improvements. But Cam Ward managed just an .897 save percentage, and he won't be in net next season. Plus the Hawks are in so deep with Duncan Keith's and Brent Seabrook's contracts that acquiring another scorer is likely a better solution than putting a bandage on the blue line.
What a deal could look like: Brandon Saad's past two seasons (35 and 47 points) have been disappointing. He has continued to have a positive impact on Chicago's shot differential (52.7 Corsi for percentage), but he doesn't strike fear into opponents offensively. His two-way skills would be attractive to the Penguins. The Blackhawks also could toss in a younger forward such as Dominik Kahun or David Kampf.
What could get in the way: Outside of Saad, options for a trade are limited. Chicago does not have a third-round pick this year, and the Pens shouldn't be interested in players such as Seabrook, Keith or Artem Anisimov.
Arizona Coyotes
The case for adding Kessel: The Yotes made a lot of progress this season, jumping up in the standings from 70 points in 2017-18 to 86 points in 2018-19. The biggest reason they didn't get over the hump and reach the postseason for the first time since 2012: scoring. Clayton Keller led the Coyotes but produced just 47 points -- and the Coyotes had exactly zero 20-goal scorers.
Putting Kessel alongside a gifted playmaker such as Keller or Alex Galchenyuk could help boost their point totals and he would immediately impact a power play that scored on just 16.3 percent of its opportunities (good for 26th in the league). With three years left on Kessel's deal, he would be in the desert long enough to see the Coyotes' rebuild come to fruition.
What a deal could look like: The Coyotes have several young forwards who would be attractive to the Penguins, most notably Christian Dvorak, who is under an extremely reasonable contract at $4.45 million per season through 2025. While injuries limited Dvorak to 20 games this past season, and he produced only 37 points in 2017-18, the 2014 second-round pick has a much higher ceiling than the numbers he has achieved, and he could thrive in Pittsburgh's top six.
What could get in the way: Kessel might not believe the Yotes are on the cusp of becoming kings of the Pacific. The Penguins also would have reason to be demanding proven players in exchange. In that case, it would be difficult for Arizona to muster enough to make a deal happen.