Despite a looming contract year and the inevitable trade rumours that come with it, Phil Kessel would be thrilled to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rest of his career, according to his agent.
Wade Arnott, Kessel's agent, joined Sportsnet 590 The Fan Tuesday to discuss the evolution of Kessel's game, his client's mindset during the scoring drought and how the forward feels about playing in Toronto.
"If you asked Phil today, he'd love to finish his career here in Toronto. But it's still young in his career right now," Arnott told Greg Brady and Jim Lang on Tuesday morning's show. "Phil would like nothing more than to help the Maple Leafs make the playoffs. He wants to experience playoff hockey here in Toronto. That's the first step to winning a potential Stanley Cup here in Toronto.
"He was very disappointed last year. They had a very good start to the season. They were in a playoff position at the turn of the calendar year and unfortunately the last third of the season didn't go well."
Listen now: Wade Arnott talks Kessel with Brady and Lang
Currently, the Leafs are playing well, as they take a four-game winning streak into Carolina Thursday. And Kessel, a sniper who couldn't find the net through 2013's first 10 games, now has two goals to go along with his nine assists.
The 25-year-old Wisconsin native has posted three consecutive 30-goal seasons since he joined Toronto.
"Phil is still a really young man. I can tell you he really enjoys living in Toronto and playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. This young man lives and breathes hockey. He was very excited to come here four years ago from the Boston Bruins," Arnott said. "He's still young man in terms of maturity level. I think he's misinterpreted in the media to some extent. Phil is very well-liked by his teammates, and he's becoming more outgoing."
Following this season, Kessel will have one year remaining on his five-year contract. He is set to make $5.4 million in 2013-14. Arnott confirmed that Kessel's camp and the Leafs cannot engage in formal contract negotiations until this summer.
Kessel, the third-highest-paid Leaf, currently earns less money than forward Mikhail Grabovski ($5.5 million per) and defenceman Dion Phaneuf (6.5 million per), according to capgeek.com.
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