Phil Kessel's name is constantly surfacing in trade rumors and the forward reportedly would agree to a swap to the Philadelphia Flyers if a deal materializes.
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According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, the Flyers are one of just eight clubs that Kessel would agree to lift his limited no-trade clause to join this offseason.
Per the report, Kessel is willing to be traded to the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Flyers.
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The Maple Leafs are expected to undergo a major overhaul and enter rebuilding mode under brand new head coach Mike Babcock and team president Brendan Shanahan, and one of those moves could be to get Kessel's big contract off their books.
Kessel has seven years remaining on an eight-year $64 million that pays him $8 million annually. The 27-year-old had 25 goals and 35 assists for 61 points last season.
The Maple Leafs went 30-44-8 in the 2014-15 campaign and finished seventh in the Atlantic Division while missing the playoffs for the second straight spring. The club was 30 points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Though there are eight teams that Kessel is reportedly willing to join, the Flyers are an intriguing option due to their struggles in 2013-14 and their need for a top-line winger.
Philadelphia finished 12th in the Eastern Conference this season and missed the playoffs for the second time in the last three years while placing sixth in the Metropolitan Division.
The Flyers may not make the move to acquire Kessel as his pact is enormous and he is under contract until 2022 with an annual cap hit of $8 million that pays him until he is 34.
Philadelphia may also not want to part ways with the kind of youthful talent it would take for such a deal to be facilitated.
The Kessel trade rumors roll on.
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