There’s certainly no absence of respect between Pittsburgh Penguins right-winger Phil Kessel and Ottawa Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf, and a special sort of feeling surges through you when you realize these two will get to face off against each other in the Eastern Conference Finals. Why? They spent six weird, miserable years on the same roster in Toronto and are now doing extremely well for themselves less than two short years later.
During the climax of the Maple Leafs’ rebuilding years in 2015-16, these two were arguably the most prominent players to be sent on different paths.