Leafs Kessel Wants Out ????

[The Cobra]

Cobra.....
There are no rants I can throw anymore---I simply don`t care what they do to my beloved Leafs anymore. From Fergie, to Nassim Kadri to Phil Kessel to Dion Phaneuf to Ron Wilson to even Brian Burke-----no matter what combo you pick----they lose big time.
And I`m tired of it after all these years of drama.

I`m changing my plate from IM 4 TML----to (if I can get it) LFS STNK

TSN

After being benched for part of Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel showed some frustration Sunday after being demoted to the club's third line by head coach Ron Wilson.

Kessel was asked if his head coach had pulled him aside to talk about any issues.

"No, me and Ron don't really talk. That's all I have to say about that," replied Kessel.

Kessel's scoring slump has reached 10 games, and the winger was placed on a line with Joey Crabb and Darryl Boyce.

"I don't really know what to say about that any more," said Kessel of his slump. "I'm trying. Obviously, it's not going right. It might not be working out here. What are you going to do?"

Wilson addressed the decision to shuffle Kessel's spot on the forward lines.

"Phil hasn't scored in 10 games, and I think in that period he's been minus-7," explained Wilson. "So we're trying to find some balance, and I think Darryl can help the line defensively."

Kessel, who was the last pick in the NHL All-Star fantasy draft last month, is minus-22 this season with 19 goals and 15 assists for the struggling Leafs.

"I don't know. Maybe it's just not working out, I guess," explained Kessel of his line assignment. "Who knows? I didn't get anything going. Maybe it's time for a change or something. Who knows?"

Wilson targeted the 23-year-old's defensive play as a contributing reason for shuffling his star scorer's ice time.

"When he's so focused on scoring goals, he's forgetting the other part of the game," Wilson said. "If the puck's not going in, and that's all you're focused (on), a lot of times you'll end up not being in the positions you should be in. And that goes for any player...if you're struggling to score, don't be scored against."

The Leafs return to action Monday night when they host the Atlanta Thrashers.

[The Cobra]

Cobra.....
Well you had to know this was coming sooner or later-----any hockey player knows that you never do or say anything in Toronto cause the media just sits and waits for something to write about the Leafs---anything....doesn`t matter if it`s a half truth, doesn`t matter if it`s in or out of context etc---it`s something about the Leafs and it sells papers.

as per TSN

Toronto Maple Leafs struggling sniper Phil Kessel was in full damage control mode Monday morning at practice as he addressed the media following some incendiary comments on Sunday that he claims were taken out of context.

"I love Toronto, I want to be here," Kessel told reporters. "I love this city. I love the fans. I love this team. The guys are great here. I don't want any trade or anything like that. I want to be here for a very long time."

The 23-year-old Kessel was benched for part of Saturday's 6-2 Maple Leafs loss to the Sabres and demoted to the third line. The Madison, Wisconsin native was apparently none too pleased with his coach's decision.

When asked by reporters on Sunday if he had spoken to Wilson about the incident, Kessel replied: "No, me and Ron don't really talk. That's all I have to say about that." Kessel then exacerbated the situation when it appeared that he was asking for a trade out of Toronto by saying: "I don't know. Maybe it's just not working out, I guess. Who knows? I didn't get anything going. Maybe it's time for a change or something. Who knows?"

Kessel claimed that particular quote was taken out of context, saying that he was discussing his line-combination and not his tenure in Toronto.

"ObviouslyI'm frustrated, right? But in no sense did I ever mean I wanted a trade. I think when someone asked the question – 'what do you think about your new line?' – that's what I meant. It was taken out of context, I guess."

While Kessel reiterated the fact that he rarely speaks with his head coach, he said that he does not feel as though it is not an issue.
"We don't talk, like, often. I don't think anyone talks to the coach that often, right? I mean, some guys might, but I don't. There's no problem."

Wilson told reporters that he had a lengthy discussion with Kessel on Monday to clear the air on any issue either side may have.

"We had a good talk today," Wilson told reporters. "What you're seeing in Phil, it's not an issue with me. It's an issue with not scoring, and he's frustrated. And it's good that he's frustrated, but what we talked about is, 'what do you do when you are?' And with Phil, it's been common that he goes throughout his career into these little ruts that he doesn't score for 10 games. There's other things that you can help a team do – so that's what we talked about today."

Wilson also said he felt that Kessel's comments had been completely blown out of proportion.

"I think you're reading things into a very frustrated young man," Wilson told reporters. "I don't have any issues with Phil, and he knows that."

Wilson said that he feels as though Kessel is putting far too much pressure on himself to produce.

"He has to just figure out a way to just relax," said Wilson. "That's what I told him: 'You're getting the ice time.' He plays more minutes than any one of our forwards. We're not singling him out or anything like that. He's not scoring. We're trying to shake things up a little bit, put him with different people."

Kessel skated on a line with Darryl Boyce and Joey Crabb at practice Monday in preparation for a game against the Atlanta Thrashers later that night.

Boyce said Kessel addressed the team prior to practice in order to clear the air.

"It all got talked over here this morning before we went on the ice," Boyce said. "He let us know that he didn't mean anything by it or that he wanted out of here by any means. He's just looking forward to tonight."

Kessel has been a lightning rod for criticism in Toronto since being acquired from the Boston Bruins in 2009 for a pair of first round draft choices and a second round draft pick. He has not found the back of the net in 11 games and has been held pointless in eight of the past 10 Maple Leafs games. Compounding matters recently was the fact that Kessel was the last player selected at the NHL's first ever all-star fantasy draft. While Kessel seemed to take it in stride, he became the butt-end of many jokes in the process. In addition, Washington Capitals star sniper Alex Ovechkin was caught by television cameras taking a cell phone picture of Kessel and laughing as the Leafs' lone all-star representative sat by himself awaiting his name to be called.

A former first round pick of the Bruins, fifth overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Kessel has 19 goals and 15 assists in 52 games this season.

[chuck]

it was a risky move from burke in the first place. giving up 1st round picks is hardly wise in this day and age. kessel would need to be on fire 24 hrs a day, to make this gamble pay off.

well it certainly hasn't paid off, and now look at them. still in the basement, without any shining light at the end of the tunnel.

burke get your head out your ____ and do the right thing, meatball!

[The Cobra]

Switch jerseys with the Marlies and give them a shot..................

[The Cobra]

Cobra...
well why wouldn`t we have pt 3 for the hungry Toronto Sports writers to chew up....


TSN



Toronto Maple Leaf general manager Brian Burke met separately on Monday morning with head coach Ron Wilson and winger Phil Kessel. His message was the same to the two individuals, who traded barbs through the media on Sunday.

"I just told them to, 'Sort it out with each other, get it cleared up,'" Burke said. "Because neither one of them is going anywhere. I am not trading the player. I am not firing the coach.

"Listen, this is a tempest in a teapot. It's a frustrated hockey player who isn't happy because he isn't scoring and said some things that weren't perceived correctly. Phil Kessel does not want out of Toronto. He told me this morning he loves it in Toronto and would like to sign another contract here."

Wilson and Kessel did meet this morning and they were sounding much more amicable today than on Sunday, when Kessel said he has no communication with Wilson and Wilson said Kessel disdains any attempts to discuss how he can improve his game.

"It's a speed bump, not a major issue," Burke said. "It's Toronto, it's a fishbowl environment and Phil knew that when he signed here. I mean, until he scored last night, Vinny Lecavalier had one goal in his last 15 or 16 games or whatever, but his team is playing well, it's Vinny Lecavalier and Tampa is not Toronto. Things don't get the same attention, which is fine. That's just how it is but this (Kessel-Wilson) situation is not a huge issue and we're moving forward."

[1Casper]

Switch jerseys with the Marlies and give them a shot..................

probably the best thing I have heard from a leaf's fan all year!!! LOL

[LoadandGo]

What I like about Burkie is he does not hold any punches and if you read the article carefully you can see that Burke is also deflecting the story away from Kessel and coach by stating ":I TOLD THOSE TWO . . . yada yada yada". Love or hate hime he is a master of manipulating the press. Now if he doesn't trade for another Kessel . . . yada yada yada . . .

Go-Leafs-Go

[KIDWCKED]

I can't just get around the fact that there are still Leafs fans out there..Keep on hoping boy's i'm sure better day's are ahead,,GL..:thumbsup:

[chuck]

I can't just get around the fact that there are still Leafs fans out there..Keep on hoping boy's i'm sure better day's are ahead,,GL..:thumbsup:

leaf fans have seen the bottom of the barrel....we've mucked it out there for years....so there is only one place to go from here!

[chickenman]

I'm sure he wants out as most of the Leafs do. He was just fed up enough to say it.