Penguins GM Weirdly Says He Now Wants to Keep Phil Kessel Despite Trade Rumors

Despite a series of rumors that suggested Pittsburgh Penguins sniper Phil Kessel was on the trading block, it looks as though he'll be staying put. Just a couple weeks ago, word began to circulate that Pittsburgh had a trade in place to send Kessel to the Minnesota Wild, but that was nixed after Kessel exercised his no-trade clause.

Now, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has spoken out shutting down the speculation.

"I think that's the way things are headed at this point in time. I expect Kessel will probably play for Pittsburgh next season," Rutherford told The Athletic.

Not so long ago, it seemed as though Kessel's departure from Pittsburgh was a done deal. All of a sudden now, Rutherford seems hell-bent that Kessel isn't going anywhere.

"First of all, he's a good player," Rutherford said. "He's been a good player for us. It's not as if we have to trade him."

He's not wrong. Since Kessel joined the Penguins back in 2015, he's played all 82 games in all four seasons. He even achieved his career-high for points in a season, tallying 92 points for Pittsburgh during the 2017-18 season.

Kessel was a major part of the Penguins back-to-back Stanley Cups. As one of the team's on-ice leaders and one of the NHL's most lethal shooters, Kessel could play just about anywhere he wants. However, it looks as though he is content with staying in Pittsburgh and Rutherford realizes most of the power lays within Kessel's hands.

"You have to understand that he has a no-trade clause and a lot of leverage," Rutherford said. "In situations like this, it usually doesn't work out so well for the team."

It sounds as though Kessel and Rutherford have plenty of long discussions ahead of them. For now, though, we can expect to see Phil the Thrill in a Penguins jersey next season.