Kessel brings fifth dimension

There is plenty to like about Phil Kessel, especially his speed, his shot, and his deceptively quick release, and how all that has added up to a pile of points. As a 14-year-old bantam in his hometown of Madison, Wis., he scored 176 goals one season, and in 2005-06, as a University of Minnesota freshman, he was the WCHA rookie of the year with 18 goals and 51 points in 39 games.

For all there is to like about Kessel, however, he will arrive at tomorrow's NHL draft in Vancouver with an asterisk attached to his name. As recently as a year ago, the 6-foot, 190-pound pivot was touted as the No. 1 pick in this draft. His stock was so high, in fact, that some scouting aficionados speculated that, if he were a year older, he could have been chosen ahead of Canadian phenom Sidney Crosby in the 2005 draft.

Now, one draft later, Kessel could still go No. 1, but it's far more likely that St. Louis, with the leadoff pick, will take star 6-4 defenseman Erik Johnson. Kessel, in fact, ended up rated No. 5 overall among North American skaters by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau. After Johnson, the likes of Jordan Staal, Jonathan Toews, and Derrick Brassard were CSB's picks ahead of Kessel.

``The way the year went, I don't know what I could have done to make everyone happy," Kessel said earlier this week. ``And you know what, at this point, I don't care. I'm happy with how it went, and the only thing I'm truly disappointed about is that we didn't win -- either [an NCAA title] or at the world junior tournament [with Team USA]."

Kessel could be of particular interest to the Bruins, who own the No. 5 pick after their frustrating season. If the top of the board were to follow CSB's ratings, that would leave the Bruins, under the direction of assistant general manager Jeff Gorton and scouting boss Scott Bradley, with the fast and dynamic Kessel for their consideration.

``He's tailor-made for the new game," said Gorton, who landed in Vancouver Wednesday and will spend today finalizing his club's draft day plans. ``He's a top skater who can score goals -- he's scored at every level he's played -- and who doesn't need that?"

The fall in Kessel's ranking, figures Gorton, simply could be a product of scouts nitpicking his faults over time. Kessel has been at the top of everyone's radar screen for the last 2-3 years, allowing for closer inspection, and closer looks can find foibles in most every teenager.

``I know this, he has exceptional skills, and he can do a lot of things," said Gorton. ``I think it might be a case of he was spotted early on as the No. 1, and from there, he had only one direction to go."

The 18-year-old Kessel is the eldest of Phil and Kathy Kessel's three children. The senior Kessel, a 1981 Washington Redskins draft pick, was a record-breaking quarterback at Northern Michigan University. He went on to play for Birmingham in the USFL and Calgary in the CFL. Kathy is a former high school sprinter at Bishop Borgess High in suburban Detroit, and amuses in saying that Phil got all his speed from her.

``Just something that's always come naturally for me," said her highly touted son.

Kessel, in part, is a product of the US National Team Development Program, the Ann Arbor, Mich., hockey factory where he prepped for two years prior to joining the Gophers last fall. While there, he spent some six months under the tutelage of David Quinn, who the past two seasons has been Boston University's associate head coach.

Quinn, who tried to entice Kessel to play for the Terriers (Kessel: ``It was just too far from home."), is among the many admirers of the youngster's abundant skills.

``I don't think I've ever seen a kid able to do the things he does at such a high pace," said Quinn, once a first-round draft pick himself. ``Everything he does, he comes at full force. No one skates like this kid, and he's got this knack for getting off his shot that makes him a threat all the time. It's not a fast, hard shot, but deceptive -- he really gets rid of it."

But remember, said Quinn, there will be a learning curve, a period of adaptation for Kessel to acclimate himself to the NHL. All college kids, no matter their skill level, have to be given time.

``People change, they grow up," said Quinn, noting how the change in Kessel's scouting ranking also was influenced by how other prospects improved over the last season or two. ``Hey, it's hard at the college level, where we're asked all the time how a kid at age 16 is going to look at age 20. I mean, come on, how does anyone know? Two years ago, Kessel was 16, and people were saying that he was hands-down going to be the No. 1 pick. It's just asinine. Now it's Erik Johnson, 6-4, 220, and he is a world-class stud."

Quinn, for the six months he coached Kessel on the Under-17 US squad, grew to appreciate the budding star's speed, shot, and confidence. What coach can't find a warm spot on his clipboard for a player who is a scoring threat on every shift?

But there was one night, playing in an international tournament in Nova Scotia, Quinn recalled, when the sure-shot NHL star brought an extra shade of red to the face of the red-white-and-blue coach.

``He scored this highlight-reel goal, just beautiful, an end-to-end rush, went through three guys and roofed it," said Quinn, laughing as he recounted how the series of events unfolded. ``Absolutely gorgeous. Well, on the next shift, he's the backchecker in a three on three, and he just lets his guy go, and the guy just walks in for a great scoring chance. The guy didn't score, but it was a great chance, all because of Phil's mental lapse."

Quinn couldn't wait to collar Kessel the next day at practice and roll out his lecture on commitment and attention to detail. The highlight goals are great, Quinn told him, but they don't amount to much if a mental mistake leads to a goal against on the next shift.

``I say what I have to say," recalled Quinn, ``and he looks me dead straight in the eye, without so much as blinking, and says, `No big deal, I'll just go out and score another.' "

Add a heaping dose of confidence to the Kessel profile. If he's still on the board at No. 5, it's that type of offensive cockiness, especially how it might relate to today's run-and-gun game, that might leave the Bruins with little choice but to take him.

``I'll be happy no matter where I end up," said Kessel. ``All I'm hoping to do is go to a good place and have a lot of fun . . . and win, that's the main goal."