Value of: Kris Letang

[Vancouver Canucks]

Like most of the internet, this place gets way too polarized (or just down right insane) to have a legitimate conversation and as such I know some people will come from the position that Letang somehow has negative value or some nonsense like that...it's largely untenable...that said, just spitballing here...

I think I would propose Letang and Sheary for Klefbom, Benning, Slepyshev and #10 overall in 2018.

The Oilers get a #1 D that they lack (plus a d-man that can carry the puck across multiple lines, as they are heavily dependent on their centers to exit the zone and only one of them is an above average or better skater and their D are not talented enough as a group to support plays effectively regularly)...they get speed in their forward group that they lack (Sheary effectively replaces Eberle, who actually could skate with 97...and there is proof that Sheary can hack it with a high IQ star). We get a bottom pair RHS, we get Klefbom who can play either side and he has a shot from the point. Slepyshev the highly skilled, under-utilized Russian who has a lot of skill but ultimately will probably wash back out into the KHL...and then a pick to draft one of these diesel d-men that's available.

I know the hot takes are still sizzling on Letang and whatever else, so the conditions are not ideal for this post, but I'd enjoy some reasonable conversation about this idea, if applicable...

Eh...I don't think Letang is worth that much, despite his being a really useful defenseman.

 

[Hostile Offer]

There's no way Edler is better than Letang,
Also, Edler has a bad back, so he can't really skate in full condition.

You could make a case for either one but give me the guy who can consistently be trusted in a top pairing role and is a lot cheaper on top of that.

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

You could make a case for either one but give me the guy who can consistently be trusted in a top pairing role and is a lot cheaper on top of that.

Yes, Edler is cheaper, but that's another story.

 

[Seedling]

What would the Pens have to add to get Larsson+18 1st form Edm? Sheary?

I doubt Larsson even gets you any consideration after we traded Hall for him. So basically you'd have to throw in Hornqvist and retain 50%. Even then, we lose on the D deal by trading away a top 2 guy who makes our scoring differential 20+ goals more for a guy who'd make it 25 or more goals less and we get an aging winger who's a great fit for McDavid but we now have to go get a guy who can actually play top end defensive minutes. Not really all that appealing for Edmonton. The other thing is I wouldn't want to trade for wingers from Pittsburgh and expect them to be the same level of player here. They should be with Drai and McDavid but it's a risk due to the experience and longevity of Malkin and Crosby. Also you have 6 top 4 wingers so the depth is much better and harder to defend against so that likely garners your wingers some extra points that they wouldn't get on most teams. If you want to trade us Hornqvist for our first and a prospect not named JP, them it might work but Letang really has a lot of issues and is a huge risk for anyone, especially the Oilers who don't have as good of depth as we should with our wingers and D so it's not like we can kind of miss a bit on a deal. It has to be perfect because we have limited assets.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

Letang has negative value

 

[Tom Hanks]

Letang has negative value

A D man that had a 51 point season has negative value.........said one person ever

 

[jay caufield forhead]

A D man that had a 51 point season has negative value.........said one person ever

correction said every flyers fan looking through the homer glasses

 

[Riptide]

With his mediocre season and defensively irresponsible playoffs it seems Pens fans are looking to cut ties with their veteran Defenceman. Not to mention he's had many injuries that has affected his game, and seems to be prone for more injuries.

Only some.

At 31, he's got 4 more years at 7.25 M which is a gross overpay for what he brings these days.
Where does his value sit at right now? What would Pens fans want to get him off the team?

You act like he's a hindrance to the team and that his cap hit/play is causing the team issues. News flash, despite what a very vocal minority are saying, that's not actually true.

 

[Riptide]

We can't afford that cap hit. So there would have to be a pretty big exchange of salaries but I'd be pissed if we traded for a guy who maybe has 2 good seasons left. Maybe if you took Russell back and something else but that wouldn't be a 1st or JP from me. Maybe Caleb Jones, Russell and a 2nd. Even then, I think Letang is done with all the injuries he's had and he clearly was the reason Pittsburgh lost IMO. You can't have 4 or 5 huge giveaways every single game like that and win.

Yeah, I mean it couldn't have possibly been the fact that in the 6 games vs Washington, we only had 4 forwards score a goal (Guentzel (4), Crosby (3), Hornqvist (3), Malkin (1)) and that 3 of those 4 played on 1 line. Or the fact that we only averaged 2.33 goals a game in the series. Naw, it must have been the fact that Letang had a couple of bad games, and the fact that we had only scored 1 goal in an elimination game was completely irrelevant.

 

[Syckle78]

Edler > Letang
Baertschi = Sheary
Leipsic > nothing
So I don't see where Pittsburgh loses too much here.

Edler > letang? Letang had one bad year. Edler hasn't been productive in 5 years and is made from even weaker glass than letang and that's nearly impossible.

 

[Riptide]

I think I would propose Letang and Sheary for Klefbom, Benning, Slepyshev and #10 overall in 2018.

That would actually make me think about it. I'd probably still say no unless there was some sort of guarantee that Pittsburgh could sign Green or someone else to help replace Letang... but that offer would at least get me thinking about it. Everything else so far in this thread has been trash.

 

[Seedling]

Yeah, I mean it couldn't have possibly been the fact that in the 6 games vs Washington, we only had 4 forwards score a goal (Guentzel (4), Crosby (3), Hornqvist (3), Malkin (1)) and that 3 of those 4 played on 1 line. Or the fact that we only averaged 2.33 goals a game in the series. Naw, it must have been the fact that Letang had a couple of bad games, and the fact that we had only scored 1 goal in an elimination game was completely irrelevant.

Letang gave up a couple of big goals that cost them games. Everyone saw it. He sucked and it cost them.

 

[Riptide]

Letang gave up a couple of big goals that cost them games. Everyone saw it. He sucked and it cost them.

Yep absolutely. Completely on him. The fact that the team only scored 1 goal in an elimination game doesn't matter... f***ing Letang for making a mistake.

 

[Snippit]

He arguably just cost his team a series to top off a brutal season and people are offering top 10 picks?

 

[Son Goku]

He arguably just cost his team a series to top off a brutal season and people are offering top 10 picks?

Changes of scenery are pretty common you know. In a different system he could be a beast.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

He arguably just cost his team a series to top off a brutal season and people are offering top 10 picks?

I'm not exactly pleased with his performance versus Washington, but people thinking that NHL GMs suddenly believing Letang has no value are being ridiculous.

If the Pens made Letang available (assuming he'd waive his NTC), there'd be a bunch of teams lining up for him that lack a #1D.

I mean, Auston Matthews did crap all for the Leafs. Does he have negative value now as well? Giroux was an absolute ghost versus the Pens. Is his 102 point season forgotten and his value based solely on his 6-game playoffs? How about Rinne? He got pulled what seemed like every second game. Does he have negative value now?

 

[Snippit]

I'm not exactly pleased with his performance versus Washington, but people thinking that NHL GMs suddenly believing Letang has no value are being ridiculous.

If the Pens made Letang available (assuming he'd waive his NTC), there'd be a bunch of teams lining up for him that lack a #1D.

I mean, Auston Matthews did crap all for the Leafs. Does he have negative value now as well? Giroux was an absolute ghost versus the Pens. Is his 102 point season forgotten and his value based solely on his 6-game playoffs? How about Rinne? He got pulled what seemed like every second game. Does he have negative value now?

Difference is Matthews was actually good in the regular season (and like, age and stuff)

Letang was awful all year.

7.25M for 4 years is a tough pill to swallow if Letang plays like he did this year for the next four years. And by tough pill I mean that team is f***ed

I don’t think he has negative value but to offer top 10 picks for the guy is just stupidity

 

[Riptide]

Difference is Matthews was actually good in the regular season (and like, age and stuff)

Letang was awful all year.

7.25M for 4 years is a tough pill to swallow if Letang plays like he did this year for the next four years. And by tough pill I mean that team is ****ed

I don’t think he has negative value but to offer top 10 picks for the guy is just stupidity

How f***ed can they be? According to you, Letang was awful all year, and yet they still made the POs and went 6 games in R2. That doesn't sound like a team that's all that f***ed. Especially if Letang was as bad as you say he was.

 

[Peat]

Difference is Matthews was actually good in the regular season (and like, age and stuff)

Letang was awful all year.

7.25M for 4 years is a tough pill to swallow if Letang plays like he did this year for the next four years. And by tough pill I mean that team is ****ed

I don’t think he has negative value but to offer top 10 picks for the guy is just stupidity

After a rocky 2017 (quite possibly due to getting back to normal after his surgery and not skating in a long time), Letang went through 2018 at 25th in scoring for dmen, 15th for ES points, and 6th in corsi among dmen playing 20 games or more.

So no, he wasn't awful all year.



p.s. I'm reminded of how last season we were told Maatta was borderline cap dump territory because he was visibly burnt for pace a lot in the play-offs and had a down regular season for points. One season on and it's no longer the case because, unsurprisingly, he bounced back. Players do it a lot. All valuations based on the idea he won't will be rejected.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Meh, don't sweat it, 99% of these flunkies would have traded Joe Thornton as a 19 year old after his six point rookie season or whatever it was because he would have been "the biggest first round bust EVAR!" - in real life, it doesn't really work like that with established players. You have to prove, longer-term, that you got bad before GMs league-wide will give up on you...

Proper talent evaluation beats all, that way you are not subject to weird statistical swings or team-influenced play (good or bad)...if you really understand Letang's game, you know what you'd be getting...that's all.

 

[Liferleafer]

I'm not exactly pleased with his performance versus Washington, but people thinking that NHL GMs suddenly believing Letang has no value are being ridiculous.

If the Pens made Letang available (assuming he'd waive his NTC), there'd be a bunch of teams lining up for him that lack a #1D.

I mean, Auston Matthews did crap all for the Leafs. Does he have negative value now as well? Giroux was an absolute ghost versus the Pens. Is his 102 point season forgotten and his value based solely on his 6-game playoffs? How about Rinne? He got pulled what seemed like every second game. Does he have negative value now?

As a Leafs fan, we have a 52 point Dman that isn't worth a pile of doggie dung because of 1 game....not a rough playoffs....1 game. Letang doesn't have negative value, but i wouldn't want the Leafs to cough up what Pens fans are expecting because he isn't the type of Dman we need.

 

[domaug]

As a Leafs fan, we have a 52 point Dman that isn't worth a pile of doggie dung because of 1 game....not a rough playoffs....1 game. Letang doesn't have negative value, but i wouldn't want the Leafs to cough up what Pens fans are expecting because he isn't the type of Dman we need.

okay?

 

[chethejet]

Letang has the off season and time to return to his prior form. I don't think he will ever be at 100% of that player, but he will come back better and more ready to play. His training and conditioning are exceptional and no way he is traded with Mario wanting to keep Sid, Geno and Letang as the core of the franchise. But if some team offers a deal just to hard to pass, it certainly has to be considered.

 

[ILikeTurtles]

Yep absolutely. Completely on him. The fact that the team only scored 1 goal in an elimination game doesn't matter... ****ing Letang for making a mistake.

Maybe he should have scored a goal that game

 

[Habs Halifax]

How can the Pens trade Letang when their D is thin to begin with?