The Pittsburgh Penguins made the biggest splash on the first day of free agency without making any signings. To start the day, they traded for Phil Kessel of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The deal sent Kessel, Tim Erixon and Tyler Biggs in exchange for Kasperi Kapanen, Nick Spaling, Scott Harrington and a 2016 third-round draft pick.

The Penguins obvious won the trade in terms of talent, but does Kessel fit into what the Penguins are looking for?

Kessel is one of the best pure scorers in the NHL. Last season was the first since he was in Boston (prorated during the lockout year) that he did not score at least 30 goals. He clearly did not like it in Toronto anymore and the team needed to get what they could for him. The deal itself is not bad, but Kessel going to the Penguins seem confusing.

For one, who will Kessel play with? If he plays on the first line with Sidney Crosby, then Chris Kunitz is off that line. They have great chemistry and Crosby gets the best out of his wingers. How many goals would Kessel have to score to show his value to the team if he played on that line? Would 40 be enough? No matter what he does, many would claim that he was doing well thanks to his pairing with Crosby.

The more logical thought process would be to drop him down with Evgeni Malkin on the second line. He plays like a rich man’s James Neal, which worked out great for the Penguins before. Again, how good would Kessel have to be for his career in Pittsburgh to be deemed a success?

While this makes sense due to the problems the Pens had at the second line wing spot last season and the chemistry the first line already enjoys, this could still bring a lot of pressure to Kessel if he cannot put up better numbers than the 30 goals and 70 points that he has averaged in Toronto.

It is hard for Kessel to win in this. He is definitely coming to a better situation, but the top six was never the Penguins’ problem. Now, with another $6+ million on the cap, they have even less money to fix the defense and the bottom six. That could hurt them in the long run, especially if Kris Letang ever gets hurt.

This move looks great on paper, but it could cost the team in the end. They will lean on their top six more than possibly any other team in the league. Unless some players decide to take major cuts to play in Pittsburgh, they will have little to no secondary scoring. That will affect the perception of Kessel. He will produce, but if he wants to be a success he needs to find a way to win. That may end up being out of his hands.