Phil Kessel Impressing Golden Knights' Teammates with Fitness Level
Phil Kessel is such a beloved figure in the NHL because he has a reputation of having substandard nutrition and fitness habits while simultaneously scoring an average of 27.2 goals per 82 over the past 16 seasons. The ultimate mensch, Kessel lights up the score sheet with a dad-bod. You cannot not respect it.
Recently, Kessel signed a one-year contract with the Vegas Golden Knights, and his teammates admitted they expected him to be out of shape to start training camp. Captain Mark Stone went on record to share the he has been seriously impressed with Kessel's fitness and strength so far.
Over the summer, Kessel said he shed 15 pounds, and from what Stone has said about his new teammate's strength, it was not muscle he discarded.
Despite Kessel's reputation, several former coaches and teammates have vouched for his work ethic and fitness. The past three seasons in Arizona cannot have been easy, so if Kessel does slot on Vegas' top-line with Jack Eichel, he could be primed for a huge season.
And if Kessel has a huge season, Vegas might actually have some success, even with their goaltending situation. Although, Elliotte Friedman recently said on 32 Thoughts that teams around the league are suspicious that the Golden Knights are up to something big but does not have details on what.
Could they be in the market for a big-time goaltender?
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 25 | 142 ANSWERS Phil Kessel Impressing Golden Knights' Teammates with Fitness Level Will Phil Kessel score 30 goals in 2022-23? | ||
| Yes | 89 | 62.7 % |
| No | 53 | 37.3 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Mikko Rantanen | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Jake Debrusk | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Dylan Guenther | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Connor McDavid | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Jack Eichel | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Brock Nelson | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Valeri Nichushkin | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Clayton Keller | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Jonathan Drouin | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Roman Josi | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Kirill Marchenko | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Kyle Palmieri | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Artemi Panarin | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Sebastian Aho | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Evan Bouchard | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Rasmus Dahlin | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Leon Draisaitl | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Matt Duchene | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 20 | 17 | 3 | - | 34 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||