Phil Kessel To Miss Training Camp

Arizona Coyotes forward Phil Kessel will be out for the entirety of training camp. The 33-year-old winger has a foot injury that is expected to keep him out for the next two to three weeks.

Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong said that F Phil Kessel will be held out of training camp. He is dealing with a foot injury. Armstrong hopes that Kessel’s timeline for return is 2-3 weeks.
Kessel came to the photo shoot before media day in a walking boot, his leg resting on a scooter.

— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) September 22, 2021

Kessel is still one of the best players on the Coyotes and is coming off of a solid year. In 56 games this past season, he scored 20 goals and recorded 43 points. However, with the Coyotes rebuilding and already trading away a few key players this off-season, one has to wonder if he will be the next player to be moved. 

At this time, Kessel has one year left on his contract and a $6.8 million cap hit. The Toronto Maple Leafs of course are still retaining $1.2 million of his contract, too. 

The Coyotes' season opener is on October 14th against the Columbus Blue Jackets. If Kessel's recovery stays on schedule, he should be ready to go for the opener. Three weeks from today is October 13th. 

Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how the veteran does this season. He is nine goals away from hitting the 400-goal milestone, so he certainly will be worth paying attention to.

Photo Credit: © Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports