He might have scared some teams away because of past character issues, but Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin focused more on the player’s skill level. We ask because the contracts handed out on July 1 free agent were the kind of signings that the Pittsburgh Penguins stayed away from en route to their Stanley Cup championship last season. After all, Kessel did not hit, fight or inspire his teammates with rah-rah speeches in the dressing room. “You could arguably say he was one of the highest skill-level players signed (on July 1),” said Bergevin. We’re fully aware that TV ratings for the Stanley Cup playoffs were down across the board this year, but was anyone watching in Edmonton?

Source: National Post July 03, 2016 02:48 UTC