“He wasn’t any different than a lot of players you deal with at times,’’ Julien said. “You never have smooth relationships because there are challenges along the way. What you do as a coach is convince those guys and make them understand and believe that this is what you need to do to be the best team possible. This is what you need to do to be the best player possible as well. We all know that Phil has grown up as a superstar player. Those guys will also be a bit of a bigger challenge. But I can tell you honestly that last year there were no issues as far as him resisting. And there shouldn’t have been, because his season proved that he was very successful.’’
Several times in 2007-08, Kessel, the fifth overall pick in the 2006 draft, hinted to management that he would not be opposed to being traded. Then in July, after the Bruins tried and failed to land the No. 7 pick and Tomas Kaberle from Toronto for Kessel at the draft, the right wing made his feelings firmer, saying he would not re-sign with Boston, regardless of the offer.
“Let me be perfectly clear,’’ said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. “This trade is really about two things. One, it’s about a player who did not want to play in Boston. Two, it’s about the threat or the perceived threat of an offer sheet.’’
In the last few weeks, the Bruins had trade discussions with other teams. They talked to Nashville, with prospects Colin Wilson and Ryan Ellis being their top targets, but it was unlikely that the Predators could have given Kessel a salary comparable with the deal he earned with Toronto. Kessel would not agree to a sign-and-trade with the Bruins, meaning Toronto could still throw down an offer sheet if Boston dealt him elsewhere.
