Kessel-Sullivan dealings went sour
Not so fast, Sullivan said. In a rare public disagreement with Rutherford, Sullivan didn’t allow Kessel any excuses, saying: “He was dealing with bumps and bruises just like some of our other guys. It was nothing significant, I can tell you that.” That assessment made Kessel look bad. I’m sure Kessel appreciates it.
My guess is Sullivan feels as if Kessel let him down. Sullivan said he talked frequently with Kessel about his late season injuries and allowed him to keep playing — probably against his better judgment — so Kessel could keep his mind-boggling, consecutive-games streak going. It is at 692, the ninth-longest streak in NHL history. It’s 760, if you include playoff games. Kessel hasn’t missed a game since he sat out the first 12 of the 2009-10 season with Toronto after offseason shoulder surgery.
You would be disappointed and angry, too, if you were Sullivan after watching Kessel perform so poorly in the postseason.
It’s admirable that Kessel wanted to keep playing. I’ll never forget Cal Ripken Jr., saying of his 2,632game ironman streak in baseball, “What means the most to me about it is my teammates know that I will be there for them every night.” Who can’t appreciate that?
But the streak can’t be more important than the team. I believe Kessel’s became a monster for the Penguins. I think he hurt them by not taking a few games off and getting healthier before the playoffs. I believe Sullivan, if he could do it all over again, would force Kessel to sit out a few games. Certainly, Rutherford would have preferred that. He has always said the regular season doesn’t matter as long as the team makes the postseason. It’s all about the postseason.
Kessel probably will be back with the Penguins next season even though I expect Rutherford to seriously look into trading him. Rutherford would have moved him for the right offer after the 2016-17 season but couldn’t find any takers because of Kessel’s sizable contract which runs through 2021-22 with an annual cap hit of $6.8 million. That contract again will be a problem for other teams with Kessel, who turns 31 Oct. 2.
Sullivan will have a lot of work to do with Kessel before next season if Kessel is back. His biggest challenge will be clear: Rebuilding their sour relationship.