Toronto Side: Burke finally lands Kessel

The Maple Leafs finally have their new leading scorer on delivery, a pricey purchase that took general manager Brian Burke months to finance in cash and futures.

The pursuit of high-scoring Boston Bruins forward Phil Kessel reached fruition late last night, receiving league approval late in the third period of the Leafs pre-season game here against the Penguins.

"It's a statement to our players that we intend to be competitive right away," Burke said following his team's 4-3 win over the Stanley Cup champion Penguins at Mellon Arena. "He's got great foot speed, he's a good power-play specialist, he's good on the shootout and he's a solid kid."