According to Rob Rossi and Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required), the Pittsburgh Penguins might shop defenseman Kris Letang despite comments from the general manager that Letang is among the core group the Pens are looking to keep in tact.
No doubt, after a disappointing exit from the NHL play-ins, the Penguins will be asking a lot of questions internally. Like many teams, they’ll need to make some changes.
But, as the two scribes point out, when it comes to the Penguins in particular, they have 16 players accounting for $68.2 million for next season. With an $81.5 million salary cap and an expectation that the Penguins aren’t looking to spend that much, something’s gotta give.
Rossi and Yohe report that, “Multiple team and league sources said the Penguins will look to spend in the low- to mid-$70 million range to start next season.” That means the team will need to make significant moves to free up space. More specifically they write, “To get there, the team will seek trades of multiple veterans, especially because ownership favors those moves over buyouts.”
GM Jim Rutherford told reporters earlier this month that he would like to keep Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang together. Despite those comments, Rossi and Yohe are reporting that “rival executives expect him to explore a Letang trade, for multiple reasons.”
Why Letang?
Among the reasons to look at moving the defenseman, Crosby and Malkin both have full no-movement clauses. And, while Letang does have some control in any trade, he has a “modified clause, making him easier to move.”
If they can find a trade partner, they add:
With Letang, the only thing you’re worried about is his health. Can he stay healthy? He’s still a top defenseman and you’re probably going to keep him around if you get him, so (the Penguins) would get more for him, I’d think.”
Amazingly, one executive suggested, “Letang’s market value is better, if you can believe it.” One might not think he’d be worth more in a deal than if you were to try and trade for Crosby, but this offseason is a particularly peculiar one.
Because Letang is a top defenseman and teams just aren’t trading those (with plenty of other teams in need), if one becomes available, multiple teams will show interest. In Letang’s specific case, there is a belief he’s still got lots left in the tank.
It will certainly be interesting to see if Letang’s name gets out there, especially after the GM said he had no desire to move the 14-year NHL veteran who has spent his entire career with the Penguins.
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