Ray Shero will negotiate with Kris Letang’s agent.
The Penguins’ general manager will make an offer he knows Letang is likely to refuse. Take it or leave it.
Then Shero will trade Letang.
It’s exactly what happened with Jordan Staal. Dominoes are falling.
There are certain things the Penguins can’t do with Letang.
The Penguins can’t pay Letang what he wants, which is between $7-8 million per. That price tag would make the Penguins’ salary cap disturbingly top-heavy.
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin took less than full value. Letang won’t. Letang certainly doesn’t have to. But the Penguins won’t hit his number.
The Penguins can’t keep Letang for the final year of his current deal under the guise of taking a run at the Stanley Cup. Keeping Staal would not have overturned the result of the Eastern Conference final vs. Boston. Assets can’t be allowed to walk away. They must be used to replenish. Beside Crosby and Malkin, most of these Penguins will turn out to be temporary.
Given what the Penguins can’t do with Letang, what they must do is trade him.
I hate the idea. Letang is a legit X factor. Not unique among defensemen, but close. A one-man breakout. An unnerving attacking force. Fun to watch.
Letang can’t be replaced.
But he’s not necessarily needed, either.
The Penguins dumbfounded many (including me) by trading Paul Coffey in 1992. Coffey helped the Penguins to their first Cup the spring prior. His replacement on defense was gangly Kjell Samuelsson, Coffey’s antithesis.
But, minus Coffey, the Penguins won their second Cup. Attacking defensemen not named Bobby Orr have usually been proven luxuries, not necessities.
Despite him being a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman, the Penguins didn’t feel Letang was their top defenseman this season. Management thought Paul Martin did better, especially in the playoffs.
Letang’s control and puck movement on the power play were erratic. His shot wasn’t what it needs to be. Not often low and on net.
Letang had just five goals in 35 regular-season games, three more in 15 postseason games. His career-best is 10. A defenseman making what Letang wants needs to score 15 goals or more just about every season.
It’s not that Letang isn’t good. He’s very good. He’s also just 26. Letang could still improve.
But, to the Penguins, Letang doesn’t do enough to merit $7-8 million per year over a long-term contract, especially given their commitments to other players.
Letang may be worth $7-8 million to another team. Perhaps more. But he will be that team’s best player and prime drawing card.
With the Penguins, Letang will forever be third-best, at best.
Letang might help the Penguins more by enabling them to refurbish the team via trade than he would by continuing to play in Pittsburgh. For some teams, Letang would be a franchise player. But when Letang leaves, the Penguins will still have two of those. Letang will bring much more in return than Staal.
What will Letang fetch? Good question. Any team trading for Letang must be able to afford to keep him. That narrows the field considerably.
Here’s what the Penguins should want: A first-round draft choice, a top-four defenseman, and two young, affordable forwards with top-six potential. At least one of those forwards should be NHL-ready. The Penguins have one Beau Bennett. They could use three.
Letang is a rare talent. In Pittsburgh, however, rare talents are commonplace. At a glance, moving Letang seems unthinkable. In reality, it’s inevitable.
Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).
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