Many people expect big things out of Phil Kessel now that he's a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but former coach Ron Wilson projects extraordinary things for the new winger in black and gold.
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Wilson, a former NHL coach who was the bench boss for Kessel on the Toronto Maple Leafs for parts of three seasons, said he expects Kessel to the light the lamp 40 times for Pittsburgh.
"Pittsburgh is building a team that wants to win the Stanley Cup now, and I think Phil is only going to add to their success, so I expect him to score at least 40 goals this year and be a dominant player again," Wilson said, according to NHL.com.
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Kessel has five 30-goal seasons under his belt, including three under Wilson, so the coach knows exactly the type of player he can be.
The closest Kessel has ever come to lighting the lamp 40 times was when he found the back of the net on 37 occasions in the 2011-12 and 2013-14 campaigns.
Kessel was a huge part of trade rumors this offseason after a tumultuous campaign in Toronto that saw some controversy between the winger and the media.
After the season, the Maple Leafs were set to undergo a major facelift, part of which saw the club trade Kessel to Pittsburgh on July 1.
Wilson will coach the United States at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Finland and since being dealt to Pittsburgh, many pundits have wondered whether he'll slot in at right wing next to Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin at center.
"Phil will do just fine [in Pittsburgh]," Wilson said. "Whether he plays with Malkin or Sid, he's got a center iceman who can get him the puck and do things on his own. In Toronto he didn't quite have that."
The Penguins finished 43-27-12 (98 points) last season and settled for the final wild-card spot before being ousted by the New York Rangers in five games in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Kessel, 27, had 25 goals, 36 assists and 61 points for a Maple Leafs team that finished second-to-last in the Eastern Conference last season.
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