Kessel Told Savard ‘Not To Sign’ With Boston

Bruins fans certainly understand Kessel’s gone, but you’d think Phil ‘The Thrill’ would know that this is no way to endear yourself to your former club.

Today, during an interview with 850AM WEEI’s Dale Arnold (former Bruins announcer) and Michael Holley, Marc Savard discussed his contract extension, his desire to bring the Stanley Cup back to Boston and old friend, Phil Kessel.

“We’ve texted a lot, he was obviously one of the guys telling me to wait and not sign,” Savard said, speaking about Kessel’s suggestion to Savard to not re-sign with Boston.

This of course, is in reference to the extension that Savard signed with Boston earlier this week that’ll keep the 60+ assist man in Boston for the next seven seasons.

While it’s clear that Kessel was hinting at Savard joining him in Toronto come 2010, it’s time to officially give up the rad bromance, Phil.

Last season, the duo of Phil Kessel and Marc Savard simply ravaged the goaltending of the NHL. In fact, with 22 of Kessel’s 36 goals being assisted by Marc Savard, 15 of them being first assists, the thought and word on the hockey street was that Phil Kessel would not succeed in Toronto without Savard (or a player of Savard’s caliber) setting him up.

Through 15 games, boy, is #81 sure proving that theory wrong.

Does Phil Kessel miss his BFF Marc Savard?

In just 15 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Phil Kessel, who sat out the first two months of the season with a shoulder injury, has tallied 10 goals and 15 points in total. His 10 goals? More than anyone on the Bruins, the closest being Patrice Bergeron, who has eight in 27 games this season.

Despite the goals, is Boston missing Kessel? Perhaps I stand alone on this one, but no, they’re not.

Boston is finally starting to find their groove, going 8-1-4 in their last 13 games and sitting just one point out of first in the Northeast Division despite missing Kessel’s former linemates Marc Savard and Milan Lucic for the majority of the season.

The Bruins are finally beginning to see scoring as of late from players such as Marco Sturm, Blake Wheeler, Mark Recchi and Michael Ryder, all players counted upon to fill the 36-goals took with him to Toronto. Pending the return of Milan Lucicin about a month, continuing exceptional goaltending of Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas along with the revitalized powerplay, all is seemingly well in the Hub of Hockey.

How about Toronto? Well, how ’bout them? In 23 games this season, the Leafs boast the second worst record in the National Hockey League at 8-12-7 and have most recently lost prematurely-declared goaltending savior Jonas Gustavsson to another heart-related health problem, putting the faith of the Leafs in the hands of former Bruins goaltender Joey MacDonald.

Why am I ranting about the struggles of the Toronto Maple Leafs? For one, much like Georges Laraque’s “big talk“ in last year’s playoffs, Phil Kessel should be concerned with his own team and not with the contractual affairs of the team he so desperately wanted to abandon.

You know Phil, the team that your agent, Wade Arnott, would reportedly refuse to give a base-figure salarywise to discuss for negotiations? The team coached by Claude Julien, perhaps the first and only coach to ever give you a reality check when he benched you during the 2008 Playoffs for your soft style of play? You know, the team that revealed all the injuries they were battling when you told them you were ready to call it a year following a shoulder injury you suffered just before the playoffs last season?

Boston without a doubt understands the need to put bread on the table, Phil, and you certainly will be able to with your 5.4 million dollar a year contract courtesy of Brian Burke. Here in the Hub of Hockey, however, they took it personally and can’t wait for your return.

Remember last season when 17,000 screaming Bruins fans would viciously boo Alex Kovalev anytime he touched the puck? Well, they’re going to make him look like a hometown hero compared to the reaction you and the rest of the Leafs are going to be on the receiving end of when you take the ice on Saturday night.

Will your new teammate and notorious cheapshot artist Mike Komisarek be there to defend you when Mark Stuart or Zdeno Chara stop your predictable toe-drag move now that Milan Lucic is out of the line-up? Or will he resort to his famous Komi-In-A-Half-Shell (turtle power!) routine?

"This choice will be a lot easier when I'm making five million dollars a season" an eager Kessel says before selecting the Spongebob puzzle

Perhaps the “new-look, still-bad” Leafs will send Colton Orr out there to protect you? 

Thing’s couldn’t come at a better time for the Bruins as tomorrow night the B’s will battle the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on the official 100th anniversary (will this centennial party finally end, please?) of the Canadiens before flying back to Boston for a Saturday night showdown with TO.

As another TO would say, get your popcorn ready, it’s going to be one hell of a hockey weekend for Boston.