Dater’s Daily: Phil Kessel Drawing Scouts’ Attention, Bertuzzi Last Unvaccinated NHL Player

Phil Kessel is 34 years old, plays on a very bad team and hasn’t scored a goal yet this season. Yet, as longtime Arizona Coyotes reporter Craig Morgan reported the other night, scouts from 15 teams had eyeballs on their game. It is widely believed that Kessel desperately wants out of Arizona, and it’s tough to overlook a guy who hasn’t missed a game since the 2009-10 season and who consistently puts up points.

Kessel is in the final year of an eight-year, $64 million contract. That is going to make him extremely difficult for the Coyotes to move – even though the actual cap hit is $6.8 million. The Avalanche could use more scoring depth, sure, but they don’t have anything close to the cap space necessary to get a guy like him.

So, don’t count on that happening anytime soon, with the Avs or anyone  else.

• Sportsnet: It was a loss, but it was loud, exciting, and everything you’d hope. The Seattle Kraken home debut was something to behold. 
• My NHL 3 Best Bets for tonight (Bookies.com)
• As if things weren’t bad enough for the 0-5-1 Chicago Blackhawks, now Patrick Kane is in Covid protocol (NHL.com)
• Ottawa Senators goalie Matt Murray didn’t make it through his season debut after he was kneed in the head, and the Rangers won 4-3.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to amaze. With practically everyone missing down the middle, stars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang out, the Penguins continue to win. Two players in Brian Boyle and Drew O’Connor have stepped up in their absence, using their big presence on the ice to make plays but also stand up for their teammates. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)
• The Vegas Golden Knights suffered their fourth loss in a row, as the Islanders came to town and beat them 2-0. The powerplay went 0-for again, the offense could not beat Ilya Sorokin, and the result was another loss. Here are the takeaways. (Vegas Hockey Now)
• Avs first-round pick Oskar Olausson has seven goals and nine points in his first seven games with the Barrie Colts of the OHL (Hockeydb)
• With Devils goalie MacKenzie Blackwood now vaccinated, only one player in the NHL remains without the jab. His last name is Bertuzzi (Detroit Hockey Now)