League exec reveals price to acquire Phil Kessel; does a reunion make sense?

While not the player he once was, Kessel has still put up respectable numbers since joining the Coyotes with 43 points in 56 games last season, and 32 points in 48 games so far this year. After leaving the Leafs to win two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he proved he can be a valuable contributor to a winning team. So what would the price be for a contender to acquire him?

This morning, Corey Pronman of The Athletic quoted an anonymous league executive, saying "The Coyotes have offered [Kessel] around for a third-round pick while retaining 50 percent and haven't gotten a buyer yet."

https://theathletic.com/3124375/2022/02/15/who-says-no-nhl-executives-evaluate-your-trade-proposals-for-chychrun-giroux-hertl-and-others/#

The price to acquire the 34-year-old winger is certainly low, considering as well he would only carry a cap hit of $3.4M after the Coyotes' retention. It would seem likely Kessel will be traded before the deadline, going to another contender looking for scoring depth.

While the nostalgia of Kessel returning to Toronto for a playoff push is fun to imagine, it wouldn't make sense for either party. The Leafs seem to be pursuing a defenseman at the deadline, and Kessel can submit an eight-team trade list, which likely excludes Toronto.