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Photo of Phil Kessel

Phil Kessel

#8 · Right wing · Vegas Golden Knights

Born Oct 2, 1987 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA · 5'11", 208 lb · Shoots right · Drafted 5th overall in 2006 by BOS (round 1)

Trophy case

Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Perseverance, Sportsmanship and Dedication 2006-07

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2016-17. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

David Pastrnak BOS · 70 P in 75 GP Alex Ovechkin WSH · 69 P in 82 GP Auston Matthews TOR · 69 P in 82 GP Mikael Granlund MIN · 69 P in 81 GP Jamie Benn DAL · 69 P in 77 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

0204060802006-07: 29 points2906-072007-08: 37 points372008-09: 60 points6008-092009-10: 55 points552010-11: 64 points6410-112011-12: 82 points822012-13: 52 points5212-132013-14: 80 points802014-15: 61 points6114-152015-16: 59 points592016-17: 70 points7016-172017-18: 92 points922018-19: 82 points8218-192019-20: 38 points382020-21: 43 points4320-212021-22: 52 points522022-23: 36 points3622-23

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2006-07 BOS 70 11 18 29 -12 12 170 12 0.41
2007-08 BOS 82 19 18 37 -6 28 213 11 0.45
2008-09 BOS 70 36 24 60 23 16 232 6 0.86
2009-10 TOR 70 30 25 55 -8 21 297 13 0.79 $5.4M
2010-11 TOR 82 32 32 64 -20 24 325 11 0.78 $5.4M
2011-12 TOR 82 37 45 82 -10 20 295 12 1.00 $5.4M
2012-13 TOR 48 20 32 52 -3 18 161 16 1.08 $5.4M
2013-14 TOR 82 37 43 80 -5 27 305 25 0.98 $5.4M
2014-15 TOR 82 25 36 61 -34 30 280 18 0.74 $8M
2015-16 PIT 82 26 33 59 9 18 274 9 0.72 $8M
2016-17 PIT 82 23 47 70 3 20 229 12 0.85 $8M
2017-18 PIT 82 34 58 92 -4 36 261 10 1.12 $8M
2018-19 PIT 82 27 55 82 -19 28 215 12 1.00 $8M
2019-20 ARI 70 14 24 38 -21 22 153 11 0.54 $8M
2020-21 ARI 56 20 23 43 -17 12 115 8 0.77 $8M
2021-22 ARI 82 8 44 52 -24 40 175 6 0.63 $8M
2022-23 VGK 82 14 22 36 -7 30 149 10 0.44 $1.5M
17 seasons Career 1286 413 579 992 -155 402 3849 202 0.77

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2007-08 BOS 4 3 1 4 1 2 13 4 1.00
2008-09 BOS 11 6 5 11 7 4 38 1 1.00
2012-13 TOR 7 4 2 6 3 2 29 1 0.86
2015-16 PIT 24 10 12 22 5 4 98 9 0.92
2016-17 PIT 25 8 15 23 12 2 68 8 0.92
2017-18 PIT 12 1 8 9 -5 2 18 1 0.75
2018-19 PIT 4 1 1 2 -1 2 14 3 0.50
2019-20 ARI 9 1 3 4 -1 4 22 6 0.44
2022-23 VGK 4 0 2 2 2 2 5 3 0.50
9 seasons Playoffs 100 34 49 83 23 24 305 36 0.83

2016-17 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
82 23 47 70 3 20 229 12 0.85 10.0 17:56

Contract

$8MCap hit2016-17
$114KCap dollars per point70 points in 82 games
$39.791MCap dollars per goal above replacement0.2 goals above replacement
$703KWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$7.3MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 664 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Who signed him to it, and when, are not on record. When it ends is not known.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
2022-23 to 2022-23 $1.5M
2020-21 to 2021-22 $8M
2018-19 to 2021-22 $8M
2016-17 to 2017-18 $8M
2014-15 to 2021-22 $8M
2012-13 to 2013-14 $5.4M
2009-10 to 2013-14 $5.4M

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2016-17 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2016-17 analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+0.2Goals above replacement481st of 664 skaters, 330th of 435 forwards
+0.0Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
-3.9Goals above averagethe five parts below added up

Each number is coloured by where it ranks among the 435 ranked forwards: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile.

Even-strength offence+0.2 57th percentileEven-strength defence-6.1 1st percentilePower play+2.2 94th percentilePenalty kill0.0 38th percentilePenalties-0.1 35th percentile

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater, and the rank beside it is among forwards. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

-10-50510152010-112012-132014-152016-172018-192020-212022-23Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

47.2Corsi for %1014 attempts for, 1136 against
-4.1CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
48.0Expected goals for %46.5 expected for, 50.3 against
-6.9xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
47.9Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
58.4Goals for %52 for, 37 against
102.8PDO8.8% shooting + 94.1% saves
263Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 565 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Forward lineGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Phil Kessel · Nick Bonino · Carl Hagelin25206:3846.246.94-8
Chris Kunitz · Evgeni Malkin · Phil Kessel33200:5648.244.39-3
Evgeni Malkin · Phil Kessel · Carl Hagelin38154:1753.360.712-2
Phil Kessel · Nick Bonino · Jake Guentzel970:3643.253.92-2

The lines he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's lines that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

22Goalsnot counting empty-netters
19.8Expected goalsfrom 294 unblocked attempts
+2.2Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.81 expected goals per 60 minutes69th
Shot quality 6.7% chance per attempt25th
Finishing +2.2 goals above expected75thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 421 who played 300 minutes or more this season.

05101520Game 20Game 40Game 60Game 80Goals 22Expected 19.8

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took this season, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. Darker red means more attempts from that spot, and each dot is a goal. "Show every shot" switches to a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 9, 2017 @ NYR L 2-3 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 14:43
Apr 8, 2017 @ TOR L 3-5 1 0 1 -1 0 3 0 16:45
Apr 6, 2017 @ NJD W 7-4 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 16:16
Apr 4, 2017 vs CBJ W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 18:39
Apr 2, 2017 vs CAR W 3-2 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 15:36
Mar 31, 2017 @ NYR W 4-3 (SO) 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 19:17
Mar 29, 2017 vs CHI L 1-5 0 0 0 -2 0 3 0 15:41
Mar 26, 2017 vs PHI L 2-6 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 20:33
Mar 24, 2017 vs NYI L 3-4 (SO) 0 2 2 1 0 5 0 19:55
Mar 23, 2017 @ OTT L 1-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 18:40
Mar 21, 2017 @ BUF W 3-1 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 18:13
Mar 19, 2017 vs FLA W 4-0 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 15:27
Mar 17, 2017 vs NJD W 6-4 1 0 1 1 0 5 1 18:24
Mar 15, 2017 @ PHI L 0-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 14:39
Mar 13, 2017 @ CGY L 3-4 (SO) 0 1 1 0 2 3 0 22:35
Mar 11, 2017 @ VAN W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 17:22
Mar 10, 2017 @ EDM W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 21:07
Mar 8, 2017 @ WPG W 7-4 0 1 1 1 0 3 1 16:31
Mar 5, 2017 vs BUF W 4-3 0 1 1 0 0 4 1 19:38
Mar 3, 2017 vs TBL W 5-2 0 2 2 0 0 2 0 16:09
Mar 1, 2017 @ CHI L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 17:52
Feb 28, 2017 @ DAL L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 17:23
Feb 25, 2017 vs PHI W 4-2 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 19:05
Feb 21, 2017 @ CAR W 3-1 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 18:17
Feb 19, 2017 vs DET L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 17:18
Feb 17, 2017 @ CBJ L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 4 0 14:49
Feb 16, 2017 vs WPG W 4-3 (OT) 1 0 1 -2 2 1 1 17:21
Feb 14, 2017 vs VAN W 4-0 1 0 1 2 0 5 0 16:57
Feb 11, 2017 @ ARI L 3-4 (OT) 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 20:40
Feb 9, 2017 @ COL W 4-1 1 1 2 1 0 2 0 17:43
Feb 7, 2017 vs CGY L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 21:12
Feb 4, 2017 @ STL W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 20:38
Feb 3, 2017 vs CBJ W 4-3 (OT) 2 1 3 2 0 5 0 19:34
Jan 31, 2017 vs NSH W 4-2 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 17:56
Jan 26, 2017 @ BOS L 3-4 1 0 1 -1 4 2 0 17:12
Jan 24, 2017 vs STL L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 18:58
Jan 22, 2017 vs BOS W 5-1 0 1 1 -1 0 5 0 13:34
Jan 20, 2017 @ CAR W 7-1 1 1 2 1 0 4 0 17:15
Jan 18, 2017 @ MTL W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16:40
Jan 16, 2017 vs WSH W 8-7 (OT) 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 18:00
Jan 14, 2017 @ DET L 3-6 0 0 0 -2 0 3 0 17:50
Jan 12, 2017 @ OTT L 1-4 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 17:30
Jan 11, 2017 @ WSH L 2-5 0 2 2 -1 0 4 0 18:32
Jan 8, 2017 vs TBL W 6-2 1 0 1 2 0 4 0 15:52
Dec 31, 2016 vs MTL W 4-3 (OT) 1 1 2 -1 0 4 0 21:52
Dec 28, 2016 vs CAR W 3-2 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 16:24
Dec 27, 2016 @ NJD W 5-2 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 14:58
Dec 23, 2016 vs NJD W 4-1 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 18:07
Dec 22, 2016 @ CBJ L 1-7 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 16:17
Dec 20, 2016 vs NYR W 7-2 1 1 2 -1 0 4 0 17:19
Dec 17, 2016 @ TOR L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 4 0 19:53
Dec 16, 2016 vs LAK L 0-1 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 3 0 19:37
Dec 14, 2016 vs BOS W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 18:48
Dec 12, 2016 vs ARI W 7-0 1 0 1 2 0 6 0 16:07
Dec 10, 2016 @ TBL W 4-3 0 3 3 0 0 2 0 17:51
Dec 8, 2016 @ FLA W 5-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 17:01
Dec 5, 2016 vs OTT W 8-5 1 2 3 3 2 2 0 18:16
Dec 3, 2016 vs DET W 5-3 2 0 2 2 0 4 0 17:30
Dec 1, 2016 vs DAL W 6-2 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 16:39
Nov 30, 2016 @ NYI L 3-5 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 15:52
Nov 26, 2016 vs NJD W 4-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 19:20
Nov 25, 2016 @ MIN L 2-6 1 0 1 -1 2 5 0 17:19
Nov 23, 2016 @ NYR W 6-1 1 1 2 2 0 3 0 18:08
Nov 21, 2016 vs NYR L 2-5 0 2 2 -1 0 4 0 20:38
Nov 19, 2016 @ BUF L 1-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 21:14
Nov 18, 2016 @ NYI W 3-2 (OT) 0 2 2 1 0 0 2 17:36
Nov 16, 2016 @ WSH L 1-7 1 0 1 -2 2 2 1 15:03
Nov 12, 2016 vs TOR W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 17:20
Nov 10, 2016 vs MIN L 2-4 0 2 2 -2 0 2 0 21:27
Nov 8, 2016 vs EDM W 4-3 0 1 1 1 0 3 0 18:03
Nov 5, 2016 @ SJS W 5-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 15:27
Nov 3, 2016 @ LAK L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 4 3 0 19:20
Nov 2, 2016 @ ANA W 5-1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 15:59
Oct 29, 2016 @ PHI W 5-4 0 2 2 1 0 2 0 18:28
Oct 27, 2016 vs NYI W 4-2 1 2 3 1 0 2 1 16:48
Oct 25, 2016 vs FLA W 3-2 0 1 1 -1 0 1 0 16:05
Oct 22, 2016 @ NSH L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 19:04
Oct 20, 2016 vs SJS W 3-2 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 20:49
Oct 18, 2016 @ MTL L 0-4 0 0 0 -1 0 3 1 18:27
Oct 17, 2016 vs COL L 3-4 (OT) 1 0 1 -1 2 3 0 20:19
Oct 15, 2016 vs ANA W 3-2 1 0 1 0 0 3 0 16:58
Oct 13, 2016 vs WSH W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 20:18