Confirmed with Link: Penguins, Letang AGREE on 8-year, $58MM contract, PER TEAM

[Darth Vitale]

Jaded: I think we're in agreement? Either way I wasn't speaking about our prospects. I'm saying there is no single prospect anywhere in the NHL right now, who possesses the value that Letang has or anything close. The only players who do are established players and very good ones at that (top F, top D, etc.)

Even in gest some of these "Letang for _______" comments are just pointless at this point. Friday or Saturday I understand. But once we got past the 1st 7 or 8 picks Sunday, that talk should've all been stowed because it clearly wasn't happening at that point.

 

[Hell Yeah!!!]

I guarantee you not a single one of our 'best in the NHL defensive prospect pool' becomes the player Letang is. I would be shocked to be wrong on this. I also doubt that more than one of the top five picks in the draft equal him, and you can not predict right now which one.

So isn't the difference that if we traded Letang for a guy like Drouin or some other young cheaper pieces that then in addition to this young pieces we could have upgraded on Dupuis and the board wouldn't be in meltdown mode that we have the same roster and same ****** wings for Crosby.

Letang is great, we can't replace him, we're also going to have Dupuis like players in the top six with Letang on the roster and we will live and die in the playoffs with the big three...which hasn't been going well.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

So isn't the difference that if we traded Letang for a guy like Drouin or some other young cheaper pieces that then in addition to this young pieces we could have upgraded on Dupuis and the board wouldn't be in meltdown mode that we have the same roster and same ****** wings for Crosby.

Letang is great, we can't replace him, we're also going to have Dupuis like players in the top six with Letang on the roster and we will live and die in the playoffs with the big three...which hasn't been going well.

The thing is, if I am reading right that is some of the same 4 quarters equals a dollar thinking that fills HF. It does not.

I am of the opinion that in sports there are a very very limited number of 'difference makers.' People think that you can replace them with a couple of other players, but the truth is that is never true. Difference makers win you championships, and when you get one you hold onto them. Letang is one of that small group, among the very best at what he does, unique really.

 

[Ogrezilla]

So isn't the difference that if we traded Letang for a guy like Drouin or some other young cheaper pieces that then in addition to this young pieces we could have upgraded on Dupuis and the board wouldn't be in meltdown mode that we have the same roster and same ****** wings for Crosby.

Letang is great, we can't replace him, we're also going to have Dupuis like players in the top six with Letang on the roster and we will live and die in the playoffs with the big three...which hasn't been going well.

If we move Letang, we'd be living and dying with the big 2 instead. That isn't better.

The thing is, if I am reading right that is some of the same 4 quarters equals a dollar thinking that fills HF. It does not.

I am of the opinion that in sports there are a very very limited number of 'difference makers.' People think that you can replace them with a couple of other players, but the truth is that is never true. Difference makers win you championships, and when you get one you hold onto them. Letang is one of that small group, among the very best at what he does, unique really.

Basically this.

 

[Hell Yeah!!!]

I totally get the quality>quantity angle and generally agree. But we have a unique circumstance in that we already have two of the best in the game if not the best. So the question is at what point do you have to bend and go for high quality depth vs stud.

We know what we're going to get the next two years, hopefully we have more cap flexibility come year four, I just hope e don't burn our prospects and picks the next three years the way we did last year.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Dave Molinari @MolinariPG
Letang said that for all the outside talk/speculation leading up to the start of negotiations, "it took three days" to work out his contract

Dave Molinari @MolinariPG
Letang: "I made it clear with Ray (Shero) and the owners that I wanted to stay."

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Dave Molinari @MolinariPG
Letang said that for all the outside talk/speculation leading up to the start of negotiations, "it took three days" to work out his contract

Dave Molinari @MolinariPG
Letang: "I made it clear with Ray (Shero) and the owners that I wanted to stay."

Translation:

'Why do you morons continue to listen to anything Rossi says?'

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Translation:

'Why do you morons continue to listen to anything Rossi says?'

Beat me to it

 

[Candyman]

I'm actually really excited to see our defense in like 2-3 years when Maata, Pouliot, Dumoulin, and Harrington are in the lineup with Letang.

Truth be told we may have the best D in the league for a few years around that time if everyone develops correctly and stays with the organization.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=676425&navid=DL|PIT|home

“It was about getting a deal done with Pittsburgh,†said Letang. “I never looked at any other team or free agency or anything like that. It was settling on numbers and making sure I can spend the rest of my career in Pittsburgh.â€

 

[Rocket of Russia]

The thing is, if I am reading right that is some of the same 4 quarters equals a dollar thinking that fills HF. It does not.

I am of the opinion that in sports there are a very very limited number of 'difference makers.' People think that you can replace them with a couple of other players, but the truth is that is never true. Difference makers win you championships, and when you get one you hold onto them. Letang is one of that small group, among the very best at what he does, unique really.

Well said.

Translation:

'Why do you morons continue to listen to anything Rossi says?'

Again, well said.

Has Rossi really always been THIS bad. His behavior during the Letang contract negotiations was unprofessional and pathetic to put it nicely. Some repercussions for that worm would go a long way for journalism...what's left of it anyway.

 

[jmelm]

I guarantee you not a single one of our 'best in the NHL defensive prospect pool' becomes the player Letang is. I would be shocked to be wrong on this. I also doubt that more than one of the top five picks in the draft equal him, and you can not predict right now which one.

Just wanted to voice my support for you, Jaded, since I have been preaching this message for a long time. I am very high on the DEPTH of our prospect pool, but while a lot of people have been metaphorically polishing the knobs of guys like Joe Morrow & others, and stated (incorrectly, IMO) that we have "the best group of defensive prospects in the NHL", I have maintained the following:


While we DO have tremendous depth and guys with great upside, I do not see a single one of them who (at least currently, if not ever) projects as a true & legit #1 Dman, besides Letang. Yes, I am extremely excited about guys like Harrington, Maatta, Pouliot, Dumoulin and others, but I see these guys more as 2s or 3s or 4s, as opposed to a true #1. (And Maatta as the only one who has a somewhat distant chance of being the one with the potential to become that player).

All of these guys can be fantastic complementary pieces, but the D corps has to be built around one true #1 Dman, and Letang is the only guy who fits that bill. Fine, so he may not be Shea Weber, Zdeno Chara or Nick Lidstrom, but he's damn good and he's the closest thing we've got to any of those guys. And there are LOTS of teams in the league who would kill to have this guy (and if the time ever comes when we actually have a better replacement, now we've got this guy locked up and can actually trade him to such teams). So let's stop being greedy for a minute and appreciate the fact that we've got one of the top 4 or 5 or 6 best Dmen in the NHL. (And also remember that while the grass may appear greener on the other side, it isn't always the truth)

 

[Dupree13]

I'm not going to crush Rossi. I have no doubt that he was being leaked that information by actual sources for some reason or other. Just because Letang says after the fact that there was never any issue, doesn't mean somebody from Letang's or Shero's camp wasn't leaking things out while the negotiation was still ongoing.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I'm not going to crush Rossi. I have no doubt that he was being leaked that information by actual sources for some reason or other. Just because Letang says after the fact that there was never any issue, doesn't mean somebody from Letang's or Shero's camp wasn't leaking things out while the negotiation was still ongoing.

I really believe it was him speculating and calling it rumor. He's pretty terrible at his job. If he has real sources, they are either terrible or they blatantly lie to him because he is almost always way off base with his predictions and speculation.

 

[Bennett Brauer]

Dave Molinari @MolinariPG
Letang said that for all the outside talk/speculation leading up to the start of negotiations, "it took three days" to work out his contract

Dave Molinari @MolinariPG
Letang: "I made it clear with Ray (Shero) and the owners that I wanted to stay."

"Hearing Toronto is Letang's preferred destination"

"Ray Shero is prepared to move on from Kris Letang"

"Interesting Letang article at midnight #leafs #pens #preds #wild"

"Letang feels upset about his standing with the organization"

Why does Rob Rossi have a job? He's literally making decent money to post LIES

Also, why is it that when ROOT or NHL Network has to interview a Penguins writer, it's Rossi, not only does he get paid by the Trib, but he also receives TV time.

 

[Dupree13]

I really believe it was him speculating and calling it rumor. He's pretty terrible at his job. If he has real sources, they are either terrible or they blatantly lie to him because he is almost always way off base with his predictions and speculation.

The fact that the speculation wasn't true doesn't mean it was bogus on his part. Maybe Shero wanted Letang to think he was willing to trade him. Maybe Letang wanted Shero think he actually was offended...those aren't things that they would probably say at the table, so they leaked it to Rossi. And Rossi publishes it and gets his clicks and his article views. It makes sense to me. I think it's obvious that this wasn't an open and shut negotiation like Sid and Malkin.

I know that the Trib (the sports page at least) has some relaxed journalistic standards to a degree, at least relative to the Post-Gazette. But they aren't Eklund. They're still a real paper. I have no doubt that Rossi has real sources.

 

[Lomez]

The fact that the speculation wasn't true doesn't mean it was bogus on his part. Maybe Shero wanted Letang to think he was willing to trade him. Maybe Letang wanted Shero think he actually was offended...those aren't things that they would probably say at the table, so they leaked it to Rossi. And Rossi publishes it and gets his clicks and his article views. It makes sense to me. I think it's obvious that this wasn't an open and shut negotiation like Sid and Malkin.

I know that the Trib (the sports page at least) has some relaxed journalistic standards to a degree, at least relative to the Post-Gazette. But they aren't Eklund. They're still a real paper. I have no doubt that Rossi has real sources.

The number of time he clearly throws crap on the wall hoping something sticks, as witnessed by his pathetic performance as a "reporter" during the Letang debacle, suggests that if he gets anything right it is in the "even a blind squirrel" category.

I have, literally, never read anything by him and been impressed with his hockey knowledge or insight into the team he covers. At best, he is a gossip columnist. He is certainly NOT a journalist.

 

[Dupree13]

The number of time he clearly throws crap on the wall hoping something sticks, as witnessed by his pathetic performance as a "reporter" during the Letang debacle, suggests that if he gets anything right it is in the "even a blind squirrel" category.

I have, literally, never read anything by him and been impressed with his hockey knowledge or insight into the team he covers. At best, he is a gossip columnist. He is certainly NOT a journalist.

I'm not saying he's not a rumor monger, but some people seem to believe he's an outright fraud, which I don't believe.

 

[Ogrezilla]

The fact that the speculation wasn't true doesn't mean it was bogus on his part. Maybe Shero wanted Letang to think he was willing to trade him. Maybe Letang wanted Shero think he actually was offended...those aren't things that they would probably say at the table, so they leaked it to Rossi. And Rossi publishes it and gets his clicks and his article views. It makes sense to me. I think it's obvious that this wasn't an open and shut negotiation like Sid and Malkin.

I know that the Trib (the sports page at least) has some relaxed journalistic standards to a degree, at least relative to the Post-Gazette. But they aren't Eklund. They're still a real paper. I have no doubt that Rossi has real sources.

Like I said, if he has real sources he should get some new ones that don't suck. He is either making things up or he is given a lot of wrong information.

 

[Dupree13]

Like I said, if he has real sources he should get some new ones that don't suck. He is either making things up or he is given a lot of wrong information.

What I'm saying though, is that the sources are leaking things to him with an agenda.

Shero (probably not personally, but through somebody in his camp) leaks out that he's ready and willing to trade Kris Letang, in an effort to make him a little nervous about taking a hard-line in the talks.

Letang's camp counters by "calling the bluff" and leaking out that maybe he's not so thrilled with the Pens organization and doesn't hate the idea of playing for the Leafs.

This could all be coming from 100% real sources. Just because it goes by the wayside and the two sides end up agreeing, that doesn't invalidate Rossi's reporting.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

If Rossi has real sources... they've been trolling him pretty hard for years.

 

[IcedCapp]

What I'm saying though, is that the sources are leaking things to him with an agenda.

Shero (probably not personally, but through somebody in his camp) leaks out that he's ready and willing to trade Kris Letang, in an effort to make him a little nervous about taking a hard-line in the talks.

Letang's camp counters by "calling the bluff" and leaking out that maybe he's not so thrilled with the Pens organization and doesn't hate the idea of playing for the Leafs.

This could all be coming from 100% real sources. Just because it goes by the wayside and the two sides end up agreeing, that doesn't invalidate Rossi's reporting.

So he h as these sources who use him for their own agenda, but never throw him a bone when it comes to upcoming signings or trades? He really DOES need to find new sources.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Dude there are no sources. He was lying. Period.

 

[Ogrezilla]

What I'm saying though, is that the sources are leaking things to him with an agenda.

Shero (probably not personally, but through somebody in his camp) leaks out that he's ready and willing to trade Kris Letang, in an effort to make him a little nervous about taking a hard-line in the talks.

Letang's camp counters by "calling the bluff" and leaking out that maybe he's not so thrilled with the Pens organization and doesn't hate the idea of playing for the Leafs.

This could all be coming from 100% real sources. Just because it goes by the wayside and the two sides end up agreeing, that doesn't invalidate Rossi's reporting.

I'm basing my opinions on a lot of things other than this situation. He has been terrible for years. I definitely believe he is leaked information and basically used by the team and/or players. But I also believe he has few to no other sources, so he has no choice but to take those stories and get his clicks.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Dave Molinari @MolinariPG
Letang said that for all the outside talk/speculation leading up to the start of negotiations, "it took three days" to work out his contract

Dave Molinari @MolinariPG
Letang: "I made it clear with Ray (Shero) and the owners that I wanted to stay."

Translation:

'Why do you morons continue to listen to anything Rossi says?'

I should end the thread right here.... So I will.

(If you guys are really dying to talk more Tang you may protest via PM and I'll re-open if there are sufficient arguments for it. However you've only got a couple hundred posts+ left to the 1000 mark so... ya know... weigh things accordingly.)


However I think we've worked all the Tang angst and happiness out of our systems at this point.

Lesson Reinforced: Never go Full Rossi.