cassius
Registered User
- Jul 23, 2004
- 13,560
- 706
I am a huge fan of the guy - he is hands down one of the best Penguins to ever wear the uniform, but the more I think about it... the more I think the Pens should consider dealing him.
Why the Pens should Consider Dealing Letang
Why the Pens should Consider Dealing Letang
- They won a cup without him - lets not forget that the Pens took home a SC victory without Letang during the stretch run.
- Injuries / Physical Decline - Letang's biggest strength is probably his athleticism, however, the guy has taken just a TON of hits over the past few years. Not going to rattle off his injury history, but it's extensive. He plays the game with reckless abandon and his injury history shows that total lack of self-preservation. His game will not age well.
- Lack of Mental Game - I love the guy, but there is no denying he might have the lowest hockey IQ of any player to ever make $5M+ playing NHL hockey. In just the past 10 games, he's made more boneheaded plays than most d-men make in a whole season. As he gets slower and has to rely on more of his mental game vs. physical talents, this could be a big problem.
- He's not a great PP QB - Schultz is better at quarterbacking the PP. Letang is OK at the PP, but isn't all that great.
- He is still a top-20 d-man in the league - The guy has physical abilities that you simply cannot teach. He is one of the most gifted skaters in the league and can really help a team when he is playing well.
- His value is low right now - If the Pens were to trade Letang, they would be lucky to get $0.75 on the $1.00. He is coming off a major injury and is leading the league in worst +/-. Not an optimal time to make a deal.
- Lack of depth on defense - The Pens really don't have a young version of Letang waiting in the wings who can log 20 minutes a night. If they were to trade him, who would step up and log those minutes?