Pittsburgh Penguins: 5 Bold Predictions for 2015-16

Mar 14, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel (81) skates against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Phil Kessil Will Win the Rocket Richard

Kessel is one of the game’s purest goal scorers, plain and simple. Many have criticized him for being a “floater”, or only focusing on one aspect of the game. He only cares about offense, and isn’t someone that you’ll see battling hard for 50/50 pucks in the corner or throwing hits in the defensive zone. And, the Pittsburgh Penguins staff is perfectly ok with that.

Kessel was acquired by the Pens for one reason, and one reason only. He’s here to score goals, and they want him to score them in bunches. With two world-class playmaking centers in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, is it really hard to imagine him keeping pace with the likes of Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos?

One of our writers recently did a piece on Kessel and predicted his production based on his career numbers. With that formula we landed on 44 goals and 86 total points. However, I’m going to up the stakes and say that I predict Phil Kessel will score 55 goals and win the Rocket Richard next season.

Let me throw in one more not-so bold prediction. Kessel will not be a cancer in the locker room like many have labeled him. Pittsburgh seems to be the perfect fit for his skill set and personality.

Next: Sidney Crosby Will Eclipse 115 Points