PITTSBURGH — If the Phil Kessel-to-Penguins reunion rumor seems hopelessly ridiculous, ask yourself this: Who would you rather have right now, Kessel or Kasperi Kapanen?
Of course, you could substitute "Dan LaCouture" for "Kessel" in that sentence and still have cause for thought, but you get the point.
In any scenario, the Kessel story seems pretty ridiculous. But it is intriguing. It's Phil Kessel. The guy makes for great copy, and without him, the 21st Century Penguins might still be stuck on one Stanley Cup.
At his best, Kessel was a dynamic offensive force.
Let your mind wander, and maybe you picture Phil the Thrill rekindling the magic after some bone-dry years in the desert. Maybe you picture him roaring in for one last ride.
It would only be for a few months before he hits free agency, right? He would only cost a mid-round pick, and the Coyotes would retain enough salary to make it work if they want him out of there badly enough.
What harm could it do?
Maybe none, but then you remember how bad it was by the end of Kessel's tenure here, how he'd clearly reached his expiration date in Pittsburgh and how it's only gotten worse for him since. You remember that Kessel and Evgeni Malkin didn't seem overly chummy by the end and that Mike Sullivan clearly was ready to move on — likely well before that.
Can you imagine Sullivan's reaction if general manager Ron Hextall walked down the hallway and said, "Hey Sully, how would you feel about Phil Kessel coming back?"
What's more, the Penguins do not need a power-play boost. That unit has been mostly humming since Malkin's return. And if it's structure and goal-prevention you're worried about, Kessel might be the last guy on Earth you'd pursue.
The only reason the idea makes any sense at all is the Penguins' need for a top-six winger — and that is because Kapanen has failed so miserably this season.
Kapanen is the serious issue here. The idea was to pair him with Malkin, but Kapanen has been nearly invisible, which is amazing for a player with his kind of game-changing speed and skill.
Can Sullivan reach him? That the coach has to keep sending Kapanen messages is beyond worrisome. Yes, he's only 25, and he did have a promising run with Malkin last season. But he will need a new contract after the season (restricted free agent) and seems like a serious trade candidate.
I'm sure Jim Rutherford, who loves Kapanen, would at least take the call in Vancouver.
If I'm the Penguins, I give Kapanen one more shot next to Malkin. They're clearly still in win-now mode. Kapanen needs to join them there. If he's not in your top six, he might as well not be here.
Meantime, the Penguins, like any contender, should be on the lookout for upgrades. There are near-future cap considerations, too, with players such as Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust with expiring contracts.
Unloading Kapanen and, say, Marcus Pettersson, and bringing in rentals would potentially clear upwards of $8 million off next year's cap.
I keep envisioning the Penguins' defense getting overwhelmed by the East's elite, and I wonder if a physical defender such as 6-foot-3, 224-pound Anaheim defenseman Josh Manson might help.
I'm not sure he's Sully's kind of guy — the coach favors mobility with his defense — but adding a heavy hitter who does not hesitate to defend teammates sounds intriguing. And it's not like Manson can't play.
Anaheim also has some beef up front in the form of another rental player — bruising winger Nicolas Deslauriers, whom the Penguins reportedly were on the verge of acquiring last season.
Manson and Deslauriers are the kinds of players the Penguins should be seeking, anyway.
A second-line winger would help, too. Maybe they wait for Jason Zucker, but there's a guy already here — a guy named Kapanen — who has a spot waiting for him.
Just maybe not for long.
