Phil Kessel closing in on signing contract, could soon join practice for NHL team

After his amazing year last year, Phil Kessel was always a question mark in the league. People wondered if he'd retire after his record breaking iron man streak, but Kessel was very vocal about still wanting to play at the start of the year. It's obvious the passion Kessel has for playing hockey, and how much he wants to be part of a team to continue helping mentor younger players. According to TheLeafsNation, Pierre LeBrun provides an update on Kessel's thoughts at this point in the season.

It sounds like Kessel is still very hopefully that he can get signed, and is trying to do everything he can to sign back on to a team. Even though he has had an amazing career, his willingness to play will most likely result in him securing an NHL contract.

It's a surprise he doesn't have one right now, as Kessel is only 36 years old and has been a proven winner over his career. Kessel has 992 points in 1286 career games, and is very close to hitting career point number 1,000. He's also a three time Stanley cup winner, showing that he has what it takes to win.