from Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star,

“Honestly, Phil is a fun-loving guy. He likes to keep it loose. My job is to keep him on task,” Roberts said. “Is training a challenge for him? Yeah, it’s a challenge.”

To say it’s a challenge doesn’t mean Kessel isn’t absurdly good at it. When it comes to moving barbells and sleds and other heavy implements over short distances, Roberts said Kessel is a gifted marvel.

“Oh, buddy — his power and strength. I would put him up against my No. 1 guy, which is Stamkos,” Roberts said. “We did sled pulls one day. (Kessel) was in a group with McDavid and Stamkos. The first five sled pulls he beat everybody because he has so much power over 40 yards. But then the last five sled pulls, he was last.”

So, Kessel’s power is peerless. And his endurance?

“I say to him, ‘Phil, you’ve just got to put a little more time on the aerobic side,’ ” Roberts said. “That said, the fear is if you do too much of that, then you lose your power. It’s tough to be a really powerful guy and have a lot of endurance. It’s a tough balance. But my point is, if you want to play the rest of your contract (and Kessel has six seasons remaining on a deal that pays him about $8 million (U.S.) annually), then you’ve got to change some things in order to do that.”

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