Bruins trade Kessel to Leafs for draft picks

Phil Kessel has been rumored to be on the go for months now, and he landed Friday night in Toronto.

The Boston Bruins traded the talented young forward to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a pair of first-round draft picks and a second-rounder. The trade was contingent on Kessel signing a contract with his new team, which he did by agreeing to a five-year, $27 million deal, TSN reported.

Kessel, who turns 22 on Oct. 2, has already overcome testicular cancer and emerged as a future star in just three NHL seasons. The fifth pick in the 2006 Entry Draft debuted with the Bruins the following season and had his breakthrough year in 2008-09, scoring 36 goals as Boston finished first in the Eastern Conference.

A restricted free agent, Kessel was looking for the sort of contract the Bruins, already up against the salary cap, couldn't afford.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=499053

Hate to see him go, but there was no way the B's could keep him at this point. The money just isn't there. Good trade for both teams though. Toronto gets instant help that's much needed, and the B's get some good picks down the line.