News Article: Kovacevic: Time to trade Letang could be now

[PPenguins724]

http://triblive.com/sports/dejankovacevic/dejancolumns/5448123-74/sports-com-letang

Dejan Kovacevic proposes that, although key to the Penguins, Letang could bring in the pieces that fix the team long-term rather than short term because his value is incredibly high.

Letang signed a eight-year, $58-million contract with a LMC in July.

My take:
I still think trading Letang would be a poor decision. Know that feeling when you can't have something, and it's when you want it the most? Letang fits perfectly in Bylsma's system, and IMO, if traded, he'd bring in offensive gold, but the team would struggle long-term to find 'another' Kris Letang.

Click to read more...

 

[MtlPenFan]

DK's the best. He's the one that actually gets it most of the time.

 

[66-30-33]

Eberle.

 

[turd]

My take:
I still think trading Letang would be a poor decision. Know that feeling when you can't have something, and it's when you want it the most? Letang fits perfectly in Bylsma's system, and IMO, if traded, he'd bring in offensive gold, but the team would struggle long-term to find 'another' Kris Letang.

I don't think I could handle 'another' Kris Letang. I'd be much happier with finding more Maattas than more Letangs. I'll sacrifice the offensive upside for a well-rounded game with a higher IQ.

 

[KIRK]

DK's the best. He's the one that actually gets it most of the time.

That story at the end says it all. The Recchi trade. The year before moving Cullen and Zalapski for Francis and Ulfie. Before the booze and lack of money took its toll, there were few better than Craig Patrick when it came to identifying that his team couldn't win a cup as constructed and that a true risk had to be taken.

I don't think I could handle 'another' Kris Letang. I'd be much happier with finding more Maattas than more Letangs. I'll sacrifice the offensive upside for a well-rounded game with a higher IQ.

Leave that out of it. With the bad comes a lot of good. Even I'll admit that. But, this team is so stacked on the blueline and so wanting up front, not just in completing the top six, but in the top nine and in terms of organizational depth, that with one deal Ray Shero could redefine for the better the fortunes of the Pens franchise.

There aren't many in the league better than Letang. And, while that 8 year, 58M extension may seem noxious, it isn't in the scheme of things, especially considering where the cap is going. What ultimately makes him expendable isn't his game per se but where the Pens organizational depth lies.

Shero could send one fax to 29 teams and make his team a lot better for it, not because Letang is 'bad', but because of what the return would mean.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

First off, let me start be saying that I've always been a Letang fan. I follow him since his junior days and I always thought he would become a great player.

That being said, he has been terrible this year and starting next year, he will be making a ******** of money. Oh, I'm sure he'll rebound and be very effective again, but for the first time, I might not be mad if we trade him.

For a guy that makes that much money, he isn't a PP QB. Sure, he produces a lot, but on the PP, he is quite awful. So, given the depth we have on defense, I guess we shouldn't suffer too much from losing him. However, and I know that won't be a popular opinion, I think the is the player we usually miss the most when he is out. He makes our transition game go. Sure, this year, he hasn't been as good as before in that departement and we haven't missed a beat when he was out. So, yeah, maybe the timing is right and maybe we should move him.

I wouldn't move him for anything else than a proven, young, super talented right winger (+ other things since PMD have TREMENDOUS value on the market) though. If we can get Jordan Eberle (and maybe some other assets) out of Edmonton, then yeah, sure, trade Tanger. I'll miss him because I've always been a fan of his, but the team will be better off in the long run. Eberle would be absolutely dynamite with Sid and Kunie. And I think I would look good rocking "JordanEberle#1Fan" as a username

 

[PPenguins724]

DK's the best. He's the one that actually gets it most of the time.

I agree. I know a lot of fans who want Letang crucified for his mistakes, but even Nick Lidstrom had his flaws. Letang's a guy you'd rather on your side have than play against every day of the week and twice on Sunday. He's a guy where you could essentially hand-pick the trade for anyone not named "Stamkos" or "Ovechkin." (Perhaps I'm exaggerating, but Letang is a Norris-caliber defenseman and very, very few of those are available for trade, ever.)

Breaks my heart, to be honest. 87-71-58; that's that "core." Even though 11 departed, they were supposed to ride off into the sunset with several cups. Oh well, things fall apart, and I know Shero will do what Shero feels is best for the team going forward. This Dupuis' knee situation really sucks. It feels like Shero is shopping for a Crosby winger as soon as the solution was finally found. Hossa all over again.

I know there's a wealth of talent down in the minors, but are any of them really as gifted as 58? Even Pouliout?

 

[Will Hunting]

Well, he complained about Kobasew and now this. Thank you Dejan. He´s actually pretty decent.

 

[PPenguins724]

That story at the end says it all. The Recchi trade. The year before moving Cullen and Zalapski for Francis and Ulfie. Before the booze and lack of money took its toll, there were few better than Craig Patrick when it came to identifying that his team couldn't win a cup as constructed and that a true risk had to be taken.

At least in my distorted mind, I'd like to credit the Kurt Russell version of Herb Brooks for Patrick's eye for talent.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

On one hand, I'm leery of seeing a potential elite defenseman dealt and see him flourish and reach his potential elsewhere. Letang certainly has the physical ability to be among the top five defensemen in the league.

But on the other hand, the more I watch him the more I question if his brain will ever allow him to reach the potential his physical tools suggest he has. I'm just not sold on him ever being "smart" enough to become a true, elite #1 defenseman who you can count on in all situations, and especially in the playoffs.

So at this point, I'm fine with him staying, but wouldn't be against him being dealt if the return was really good. We're talking a top end first line winger, here.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Shero doesn't have the balls to do it.

Although...

He did move Ryan Whitney after his extension and Goligoski. But I think both combined, make as much as Letang's current extension per year.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

The "Patrick/Recchi" comparison has always bothered me. It's great that a Pittsburgh GM once traded a core player for lesser pieces and won a Cup, but you know who has retained all their core players and still won a Cup? A lot of other GMs.

Replicating Patrick by trading a core player isn't one of the requisite steps to success, people. It was one move by one GM, successfully avoided by many others.

 

[ColePens]

RRP - I will agree that Letang's talents are through the roof. I am one of his biggest fans until recent where his boneheaded (consistently for a long time) plays have cost us dearly. I do not want to trade him. I do not want new shiny things when we have something so damn good. But...

We are in the ONE situation where it's plausible. We drafted all these dmen and a lot of them look ready to go. We also have a good shelf life of vet defenders to play solid defense. It's amazing to say but the significance of losing Tangers really wouldn't be lost. I never thought I'd be saying that. Look at his recent terrible playoff runs where he becomes an idiot. We don't need that. The offensive output can be brought into play by guys like Nisky. We do not need 60 pt defenders. We have enough offense and can add the winger for Sid for a truly dynamic team. We need DEFENSE. Tangers could be a top defender but he just refuses to do so.

I'm just saying - FOR WHAT THIS TEAM NEEDS putting Letang on the table is now available to us if we get our equally dynamic player back for Sid. Tell me that isn't true...

 

[Honour Over Glory]

The "Patrick/Recchi" comparison has always bothered me. It's great that a Pittsburgh GM once traded a core player for lesser pieces and won a Cup, but you know who has retained all their core players AND complemented them with lesser pieces to win a Cup? A lot of other GMs.

Replicating Patrick by trading a core player isn't one of the requisite steps to success, people. It was one move by one GM, successfully avoided by many others.

Wait, Wregget, Tocchet and Kjell were lesser pieces? I guess, Rex was a solid player that was moved to get 3 pieces that I'm not sure if the team really needed at the time.

And the core guy we're talking about, is it Letang? Letang is a guy that realistically, might never reach his full potential because he's rarely shown the improvement, a guy that watches as much video as he does, should. It's one of those things where you wait it out and maybe in a year or two he does reach it, or a guy that never does and his contract is one of those "holy crap, how drunk was Shero when he gave him that contract?"

So much of Letang's game makes me worried when he's on the ice, like "oh crap, please keep it out of the other end, Letang is out there!"

He rushes up the ice better than anyone, can be that 4th forward better than most players by giving the other team another guy to worry about when he's on Sid or Geno's line, but he can't run a powerplay point, won't shoot as often as he should, his shot selection is solid but his slapper is lacking for being accurate and his defensive decisions will make you scratch your head because again, if a guy like him studies the game so much and wants to fix his mistakes, it's not showing.

Like that chat/video thing once mentioned, if you focus on your mistakes often enough, it's all you can think about and it ends up being something that throws you off.

 

[jmelm]

This tells me one thing and one thing only: Dejan is reading our HF Pens' board to get his ideas for articles.

 

[Michael8771*]

Eberle.

Bingo!

 

[MtlPenFan]

Letang is a luxury at this point, not a need. People are mesmerized by his skating and the number of points he picks up, but so many of his points come off of simply who he passes to.

Even though Subban was ass today, his point totals are so much more impressive because the Habs have no high end forwards save for Pacioretty. The team's offense FLOWS through Subban. I've never been able to say that about Letang. With all the puck movers coming up, he can easily be replaced by committee.

 

[Captain Hook]

I still don't think Shero will move him this soon after his extension. Letang's a guy that I'd probably listen to offers. He isn't Crosby or Malkin. I'd hang up the phone if anyone asked for either of those guys. I wouldn't necessarily be looking to trade Letang though. I'd accept an offer if the value is unbelievable but that's about it. I wouldn't trade him just to trade him.

I can understand both sides of the argument about Letang though. I can see where the Pens may be hesitant to move him because if the switch ever goes on and the guy figures it all out, he will be such a special player. The risk is that he doesn't and he remains an inconsistent, mistake and injury prone defenseman with a ginormous price tag starting next year.

 

[Michael8771*]

I don't think I could handle 'another' Kris Letang. I'd be much happier with finding more Maattas than more Letangs. I'll sacrifice the offensive upside for a well-rounded game with a higher IQ.

I think Pouliot's upside is comparable to Letang's if he continues to develop. But I agree guys of Maatta'S ILK ARE FINE WITH ME.

 

[Sideline]

This tells me one thing and one thing only: Dejan is reading our HF Pens' board to get his ideas for articles.

Dejan is money on this one. It doesn't matter if he got the idea from HF or a fortune cookie. Letang, at the level he's played this year, is very much replaceable with internal options. The return he would bring in a trade would fix the forward situation permanently.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

If the Jets didn't finally get their heads out of their ***** and replace their coach and start winning 4 in a row...I'd say that Kane fella would be a nice "get" for Letang.

So realistically, which teams do you think would be in on Letang?

Oilers being an obvious one of course.

 

[Sideline]

If the Jets didn't finally get their heads out of their ***** and replace their coach and start winning 4 in a row...I'd say that Kane fella would be a nice "get" for Letang.

So realistically, which teams do you think would be in on Letang?

Oilers being an obvious one of course.

The Avalanche for sure.

 

[jmelm]

Dejan is money on this one. It doesn't matter if he got the idea from HF or a fortune cookie. Letang, at the level he's played this year, is very much replaceable with internal options. The return he would bring in a trade would fix the forward situation permanently.

I'm not debating the merit of trading or not trading Letang. I just think it's hilarious that the talk on here about trading Letang has been arguably the primary topic on these boards in the last 2 weeks, and then this article comes out.


I know most of the hockey journalists at least glance at these boards, if not look at them more often. I really used to love Dejan's articles on the Pens when he wrote for the PG, but his own personal columns at the Trib are overwhelmingly underwhelming or worse. This makes the fact that he brings up a subject that is actually interesting is quite an anomaly and curious.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I think Pouliot's upside is comparable to Letang's if he continues to develop. But I agree guys of Maatta'S ILK ARE FINE WITH ME.

I'd be more than happy with a defense that looks like (below) this.

Despres/Maatta, Martin
Maatta/Despres, Niskanen
Scuderi, Bortuzzo

I wonder what he would take to re-sign, though, Niskanen I mean. I would be ok with him being re-signed for 4m/yr for a 3yr contract.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

The Avalanche for sure.

Wait, I can't troll their wacky trade proposals now? Damn it.