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Cox says that the removal of Kessel would help new GM Dave Nonis put his stamp on the team and take away an albatross from the Brian Burke era. He also currently comes at cap hit of $5.4 million cap hit, which is affordable given his goal-scoring ability, but following the 2013-14 season he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent and will likely be seeking a raise. The team could also get a good return for Kessel considering he is only 25 years old and has already cracked the 30-goal barrier four times. However, at this stage if you asked the Leafs about dealing him then we would assume they would say that it's not something they are looking into.