ASG Kesler Review

Games played were in Div. 2 and Div. 1 against equally skilled opponents with semi-stacked squads (Richards high without base players).

He played on my 3rd line with MS Parise (90) and HC Horcoff. He plays on the 1st 4-man PK unit with Hero Linden.

Active Synergies are: Cycle Game, Team Wheel, Team Shot Block, It’s a Trap

Stats: 10 GP; 3 G, 3 A, 6 Pts, 0 PIM, +6

Card link: https://hutdb.net/17/view/12320

His synergy: 2 Dirty Dangler, 2 Net Presence (both activated)

Skating: 9/10 With TW activated, this guy wheels enough for the whole line. Mixed with a good height of 6’2’’ and 208lbs, he has a big enough body but not too heavy so you get best of both worlds. He’s tough to push off the puck and agile enough to give you exactly what you are looking for that type of player.

Defense: 9.5/10 Really like the defensive play of this guy. Really strong on the forecheck and backcheck. Not to be forgotten is his 93 aggressiveness rating which is a really nice passive buff when you’re not controlling him. He has an above average frame and has a good reach. He has a big enough body to knock most people off the puck and destroy anyone too small to take a hit (Marner types).

Passing: 7.5/10 This is not his strong point but it’s correct none the less. He isn’t the kind of tape-to-tape-through-5-defenders type of guy but it’ll be enough for most plays. It’s not high enough for a top 6 guy in a good team but as a grinder-type, it’s satisfying.

Hands: 7.5/10 See “Passing”; not high enough for a top 6 guy in a good team but as a grinder, it’s satisfying. It’s enough to get you out of trouble but it’s always a bit dangerous to use.

Shooting: 7.5/10 See “Passing” and “Hands”; not high enough for a top 6 guy. He has a strong shot but it’s not as precise as we would like it to be.

Senses: 9/10 8.5/10 for Offensive, 9.5/10 for defensive. I love having him in the lineup. I never feel like I’m getting one of my lesser lines when he’s out there. I know he will win the faceoff (94 rating) and the puck will be out of the zone fast in defensive situations. If it’s in offensive situations, I’ll keep the puck in their end the whole shift. Even though he only has 82 discipline (85 with my synergies), he didn’t take a single penalty and I used him mostly for defensive zone starts and PK situations.

Conclusion: He might be the perfect 4th line centre. I used to have MS Kesler 88 in the lineup before upgrading to the ASG version. I must say I see a difference because he does everything a bit better. I am planning on keeping him even though he doesn’t have the greatest synergies or offensive skills because he greatly makes up for it with his defensive abilities. I would’ve preferred RF instead of DD because of the role he plays on my team but I understand where it’s coming from. I just don’t really see the advantage of having DD for him.

If you have questions or comments, please leave one in the comment section. Cheers!