Penguins/NHL
Industry Chatter on Kris Letang
1. The question surrounding Kris Letang since the Penguins put his name out there in trade talks (around two weeks ago) isn’t that he’s available because he is, but whether a suitable deal exists because of Letang’s scary injury history and a contract that isn’t seen as very favorable because in reality he could be a concussion or another neck injury away from finishing the rest of his career on LTIR.
For now that answer is no which is leading to some pushback from the Penguins end who are going to reporters off the record in denying they are shopping Letang.
Remember when the Montreal Canadiens would deny and deny that PK Subban was in play?
Of course the Penguins publicly are going to pump the brakes on the Letang speculation. They pretty much have to and should. You don’t want that talk hovering around the room, even if a deal was close, which one isn’t remotely.
The Penguins, according to a source, are a bit frustrated that this got leaked.
The belief around the league is that Pittsburgh approached three specific teams about Letang in mid-December and word was leaked out from one of the clubs that Letang is in play. The Penguins have a pretty good suspicion To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
The Penguins are not shopping Letang from the standpoint that they are actively trying to trade him. They are not by any means. But, what has played out here is a veteran General Manager in Jim Rutherford who make an overture to test the waters with a few teams on what they might be willing to do down the road this season for Letang or the summer.
Where the situation stands is this:
Is Letang being actively shopped? — The answer is NO
Is Letang still regarded by the Penguins brass as ‘untouchable’? — The answer is NO and that’s significant if Jim Rutherford eventually decided to mess with this core by the deadline or the summer.
2. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has talked at length about the Letang situation in various radio segments this week.
[hide] Here are the comments from Friedman today on Letang, via Chris Nichols of Fanragsports.
[“I think that Letang is a name that Pittsburgh has kind of tested the waters on to see what, if anything, other teams would be willing to do. He’s had a really rough year to start the year. He hasn’t been himself. I think if it was simply a matter of his play, they could make this deal very easily. I’m just not sure how many teams want to look deeper into his health before they make it. That to me is the only question. Like one GM told me, he said, ‘I’d be interested in him, but I really would like to see everything that there is.’ And I think what happens is it almost becomes the last thing you look at because you have to request permission to do it, and you also have to know you can make a trade.
“So I think it’s complex, although there might be a team that just jumps in. The two teams that really jump into my head are Montreal because they need defense. Although if they were to do that, barring what went back, they have $37 million tied up in their top four D and Price, and it’s interesting to see if you can do that. The other team I wonder about, but again – and I think Montreal actually has a deal that could make sense there. They’re looking for forwards, Pittsburgh, and I think Montreal – especially if Pacioretty is part of that deal – I think there’s a deal to be made there. The other team I kind of wonder about is Detroit, and I mention them because I think Detroit is a team that any time a top D becomes available, Detroit is looking at it. I just don’t know if it’s as easy to see a trade made there as there is with say Montreal.”]
Friedman also had a Thursday radio hit wondering about the Sabres/Letang.
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3. League chatter is that Rutherford has been chasing Max Pacioretty for months and Pittsburgh would move Letang for Pacioretty in a heartbeat and even throw in [hide] a pick, one source noted.
That’s the type of deal Rutherford is believed to have put a feeler out on.
The consensus around the league is that type of swap would be a no-brainer for Pittsburgh, but much less consensus on Montreal’s end who need multiple pieces for Pacioretty and not another 1-for-1 type swap, NHL types feel.
4. Detroit fits the bill along with Buffalo that would be desperate enough to make a significant offer for Letang. Detroit badly seeks a front-end defenseman and they’re not going to get one in free agency anytime soon. I think Friedman is right to throw out Detroit as a team that is or would be very interested, but, on the surface it’s hard to see a great match.
The Wings surely wouldn’t part with Dylan Larkin who would grab the Penguins attention.
One NHL source mentioned this to me today:
Excluding draft picks, does Gustav Nyquist, Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green as a rental thrown-in get Detroit to the table? [hide] Based on the Penguins testing the waters with a few teams on Letang and the feedback they got, that’s the type offer the Penguins would more likely receive for Letang than a club willing to move a star player to Pittsburgh in the sense of a PK Subban – Shea Weber type swap.
5. Talk in the industry is that Edmonton was certainly a team Pittsburgh approached about Letang and if they’d be willing to discuss To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”! For now sounds like no dice on that front……. Unconfirmed at this point, but Toronto is another team being thrown around that Pittsburgh approached about a multiple forward package but word is Mike Babcock’s not a To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
