BREAKING - Phil Kessel to make NHL return and sign with this team today

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Janessa Ladouceur
March 8, 2024 (10:59)

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NHL insider Chris Johnston reports that Phil Kessel will sign with the Canucks before tomorrow's 3 pm ET deadline, according to sources.

The Vancouver Canucks are running out of time to decide on Phil Kessel's future with the team. They have until Friday at 3pm ET to sign the NHL's all-time Ironman, failing which he will not be eligible to join their 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs roster. However, it seems like the Canucks are having second thoughts about Kessel and a signing is no longer a sure thing as it was last week. Canucks insider Rick Dhaliwal revealed that there is no imminent signing in sight.

According to Canucks insider Patrick Johnson of The Province newspaper, a Kessel signing is unlikely to happen in Vancouver.

Just a week ago, it seemed highly probable that Kessel would sign with the Vancouver team. However, now it appears that he may not be able to join them after all. I wonder what could have gone wrong? If Kessel fails to reach an agreement with the Canucks within the next 48 hours, his NHL career will likely come to an end.

It's worth noting that Canucks' head coach Rick Tocchet and player Phil Kessel were part of the Pittsburgh Penguins team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Tocchet was instrumental in helping Kessel reach his potential during his time with the Penguins, earning him the nickname 'Phil Whisperer'. The two have maintained a positive relationship over the years and it wouldn't be surprising to see Kessel join Tocchet in Vancouver. It's also worth mentioning that the current Canucks president, Jim Rutherford, was the GM who acquired Kessel in 2015. With Kessel having trained with the organization for two weeks, it's likely he will join the team once he is in game shape. We'll have to wait and see for further developments.