The rumor mill has continued to spin around Phil Kessel and the Pittsburgh Penguins are reportedly interested in the Toronto Maple Leafs forward.
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According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Penguins have at least a "kick the tires" interest in Kessel as the team searches for a top-six forward to help round out its lineup.
Kessel, 27, makes $8 million annually through the 2021-22 campaign, so with the Penguins already paying big money to Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury, it could be tough for them to absorb Kessel's salary, unless Toronto takes some of the financial hit.
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Pittsburgh may also struggle to fit the asking price that the Maple Leafs have as the market for a top-six winger is competitive and there aren't many high-quality goal-scorers available this offseason.
"It's a pretty competitive market right now," Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford told the publication ahead of this weekend's NHL Draft. "I would think that the next couple of days, with the amount of talk around the league, league-wide, you'll probably see the start of some movement."
After becoming the first ever Metropolitan Division champions in 2013-14, the Penguins took a step back last season.
Pittsburgh finished with a 43-27-12 record and settled for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The club then fell to the New York Rangers in five games in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Injuries and a lack of depth certainly hurt the Penguins in 2014-15, and they're looking to remedy that this offseason.
There have been plenty of rumors surrounding Kessel this offseason, but his salary and Toronto's asking price could thin out the market for him as most clubs have to be careful against the salary cap.
The Penguins are one of eight teams Kessel would waive his no-trade clause for in a list that also includes the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and the Rangers.
Kessel had 25 goals and 35 assists for 61 points last season and is 247-273--520 in 668 games in his nine-year career spent between the Bruins and Maple Leafs.
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