Penguins/NHL
After all this haggling for about a year now over the Penguins being stingy on term and not wanting to offer Kris Letang more than 3-4 years at the max, the team at the end of the day decided to operate like a team that internally still believes it can contend for a Stanley Cup in the next season or two.
Hence, the Penguins today officially announced the resigning of 35 year old Kris Letang to a six year, $36.6 million contract that carries an AAV of $6.1 million. Letang will be 41 at the end of the contract and receives a Full No Move Clause for the first 4 years of the contract.
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PENGUIN FOR LIFE!
The Penguins have agreed to terms with defenseman Kris Letang on a six-year, $36.6 million contract extension.
Details: https://t.co/QyYvtPAm3v pic.twitter.com/UeONaY63EN
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 7, 2022
The Penguins in the team release call Letang a “Penguin for Life”.
“Kris epitomizes what it means to be a Pittsburgh Penguin,” said Ron Hextall in the team release. “The role he plays on our team is irreplaceable, he is a leader in our locker room, and has made countless contributions to the organization over the last 15-plus years which incudes Three Stanley Cup Championships. We are thrilled to make him a Penguin for life.”
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Letang will make $22.2 million in the first three years of the deal, $14.4 million in the final three.
The front-loaded six year extension shows Hextall and Co made this such a tougher negotiation than it needed to be by deciding through ownership pressure and other factors to live for the now as Letang’s cap hit goes from $7.25 million to $6.1 million.
Hextall has to know he doesn’t have the benefit of doubt to try to re-tool on the fly in a conservative way like he sold to the Lemieux group in February of 2021 as the new ownership group will jump at the chance to restructure the front office eventually into an analytic, win-shares philosophy type FO if this team isn’t a Cup Contender in the present.
The million dollar question now is does Hextall come out of this summer actually improving the team or does the team try to bring most of its parts back.
There’s around $15 million in cap space before decisions/answers on the likes of Evgeni Malkin, Kasperi Kapanen (RFA), Danton Heinen (RFA) and UFA’s Rickard Rakell and Evan Rodrigues who the Penguins have interest in resigning.
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Chicago didn’t qualify Dylan Strome. Would be really interested to see what it would take to land him.
I wonder what the Pens would do with Carter if they landed a Strome type. He could be better suited as a winger at this point anyway.
I’d like pens go after Palat
Dumb pick by the Pens, both because chubby thinks it’s a good one and because he won’t help them win in their window. Take a forward that can be ready in a year or two, or trade it for someone that moves the needle. Or move down in the draft to get rid of a bad contract. Hopefully Geno gets done at 6 mil and they can move a could contracts to bolster their forwards.
Ya they kind of went off the board for a project that won’t likely see results for a few years. I get that the cup window is all but shut tight but if there was any legit commitment to try and get in one more… this isn’t it.
I think both sides bent here would have rather seen 4 years not 6…….
He will be traded after 4 years to habs and play for his Agent that’s probably the plan
Nice pick by letang that’s the guy letang will pass the torch too nice pick by the pens
Only Montreal can have the 1st overall pick and end up with the 3rd best player lmao
Go back to your hot dog stands
Montreal draft event is louder then Pittsburgh’s playoffs final
here is a great formula for success, lose in the 1st round every year and sign the guys who helped you get eliminated during those years to lifetime contracts. genius!
this signing is the nail that put my cable contract in the coffin. time to cut the chord and watch the pens on the 3 minute youtube highlights the next morning. BORING!!!!!!!
oh boy. we get to see him cough up pucks on the PP until he is 41. nice