Kessel, acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on June 29, averaged 27 goals the previous five seasons; no Coyotes player has scored that many in a single season since Shane Doan had 28 in 2015-16.
As much as Kessel lifts the offense, he's lifted the expectations for what the Coyotes can accomplish. They were a top-five defensive team last season tying for the third-fewest goals scored (209) and finished four points behind the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. With an offensive upgrade in Kessel, reaching the postseason for the first time since 2012 seems realistic.
"Right away when we did acquire [Kessel], I had numerous calls from players on our team, young guys, older guys, very excited," coach Rick Tocchet said. "Anytime you get your players excited on something, their energy level goes higher, their focus level goes higher. That's what I look at the most important part on the deal."