Thinking out Loud: Phil Kessel

1. The end of the Sid-Kuni-Duper era

either 14 or 9, and quite possibly both, will now be relegated to 3rd line duty.

2. The Neal trade looks excellent in retrospect

particularly on the PP, Horn is the perfect compliment to the big 4, though it remains to be seen who will command the halfwall. Also the blunder of acquiring Spaling is now mitigated.

3. So much for Beau in the top 6

unless he bites the bullet and plays LW. JR did say he could play switch wings if need be, and he did have some success with Malkin and Neal at LW in 2013 (14 pts in 26 games). But he would have to have a pretty convincing training camp to get this shot right off the bat, and he very likely ends up getting buried in the depth chart once the ball gets rolling.

4. Trusting youth

though many see this "mortgaging of the future" as anti-Hawks, i think it's quite the opposite. Maatta, Pouliot, and Cole are all 26 or younger and will form 3 of the top 4, whether they like it or not. I would still like to see Scuderi shipped out, if for no other reason than to let Dumoulin and Erixon fill out the top 7.

5. The rise of Brandon Sutter?

yeah, I said it. His haters are forced to submit to his boxcar stats, and while his advanced numbers leave you wanting, he will most likely be buoyed by some combination of Bennett (who has made him look good in the past), Dupuis, and Kunitz (both of whom are corsi fiends). Flat Stanley has a great chance to cash out in what (hopefully) is his last year in the Burgh.

6. Sid or Geno?

I tend to lean towards Sid. After a summer of training with Gary Roberts Phil should have no trouble keeping up with 87 and forming the league's most dynamic duo. Though Geno loved playing with Neal, aka "Lazy", there's now enough skill to go around where Hornqvist should fit onto his wing with no problem.

7. Dupuis and Sutter needn't be used on the PP

With the dearth of PK guys the top 2 need to be as fresh as possible. A 2nd unit of Perron-Kunitz-Plotnikov-Bennett-Pouliot would certainly suffice. This also takes a load off of Maatta as he adjusts to a full time top pairing role.