QUICK FANTASY THOUGHTS: KESSEL TRADE TO PITT primepucks.com Thu 7/2/15 11:13 AM

Let's face it. Phil Kessel represented the only true elite offensive threat on the Maple Leaf roster, so losing him to the Penguins without getting back a comparable talent is a massive blow to their offense. So can we depend on first liners James van Riemsdyk or Tyler Bozak for more than 50-60 point production without the services of Phil the Thrill? Absolutely not. Huge downgrade in fantasy value... As for Kessel,his drop in point production last season was mainly a result of much incurring bad blood with the Leafs organization, so you can expect a much more motivated version in Pittsburgh. At the age of 27, Kessel is still in the smack  of his prime and should see his best years ahead of him.    How about swapping Bozak for either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin as his primary puck feeder on a nightly basis? Yes, his supporting cast will be lights year ahead of the talent he has played with during his Toronto days.    There were many nights where his line was shut down due to the lack of secondary scoring, but that problem won't exist in Pitt as their top six should be the best in the NHL: Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Patrick Hornqvist, David Perron, and Chris Kunitz.    The one guy I would love to own next season in fantasy that could fall a bit under the radar is Hornqvist. With the acquisition of Kessel, the first power play should be downright nasty. The former Nashville Predator is the only viable down low presence so he should be a lock on the top unit. Pending injuries, a career season in the 65-75 point range should be a safe bet.