Colby Armstrong says 'it was frustrating' playing with Phil Kessel in Toronto

Toronto can't stop talking about Phil Kessel.

Sent out of town by the Maple Leafs in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kessel's tenure in the so-called center of the hockey universe remains a hot topic, with former teammate Colby Armstrong the latest to cast some shade.

Speaking on Sportsnet 590 The Fan on Wednesday, Armstrong - who played 79 games for the Maple Leafs from 2010-12 - said it was frustrating to be on the ice at the same time as Kessel.

We all see what he does: He skates fast to the puck, he shoots the puck, he can make things happen. But when the game’s on the line, if he can get a goal for you, that’s about all he’s gonna do. As far as winning battles and the extra mile, it did become, for me as a teammate, a little bit frustrating at times.

As a teammate, exactly what you see is what you get. And sometimes it was frustrating, wondering whether he was gonna be there for you or not.

In fairness to Kessel, he did average 0.4 goals per game, or 33 every 82 games, during his time with the Maple Leafs, while Armstrong scored 9 total in the blue and white.

So with all due respect to Armstrong, of players in the league able to take over when a game is on the line, Kessel has to be higher on the list.