Sidney Crosby Comments on Phil Kessel Trade

When Phil Kessel was traded to Pittsburgh, the reaction from Penguins fans was mostly positive, although a minority did react negatively. Kessel is elite offensively but is criticized for his lackluster defensive play. Will he find chemistry on the first line with star center, Sidney Crosby? Crosby weighs in:

It’s a nice addition to our team, obviously. He’s a great scorer, he brings a lot, and offensively he’s going to help any team. So we’re happy to have him, and I think from talking to him he seems like he’s excited, and I think it’ll be something that everyone’s looking forward to this season, a lot of anticipation.

Crosby is optimistic Kessel can produce on a line with him but cautions that playing in Pittsburgh comes with high expectations:

The season’s long, but at the same time when you get to the offseason, you’re usually itchin’ to get right back out there, so you don’t sit around for too long; you just want to prepare and get ready for the next year. Like I said, there’s a lot of anticipation with Phil coming, and with our team always having high expectations, so you want to be ready from the start.

Kessel sees this as a chance to redeem himself after his tumultuous time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has hired famous trainer Gary Roberts to help him get in better shape.