Mark Letestu

[db2011]

How accurate do y'all think it is to imagine Rene Bourque will be earning Mark Letestu's paycheck next year? Are they unrelated? If not, that's another aspect of the Wiz trade I'm not crazy about.

I don't think it's likely that Letestu is re-signed, which to me is a shame. I just really like the guy. Not only do you never see him make bad plays, but you'll often see him make smart, solid ones.

Jarmo has underpaid him once, I don't see it happening again. Wherever Mark goes, I'll be pulling for him.

But maybe others have thoughts that put this in a different light. "Of course he'll be back!" Or "Bourque's a better option anyway!"

Click to read more...

 

[NotWendell]

Bourque's paycheck is an awfully big one for a fourth liner. Let's not be fooled by a handful of decent games.
Sign Letestu. Move Boll. Drop Tropp. I'm on the fence about Skille.

 

[Cowumbus]

who is to say mark dosent take a discount.. I feel like he likes the city and I think the FO likes him.

keep him 3 years at a low cap hit then hire him as a coach or scout.

Bourque's paycheck is an awfully big one for a fourth liner. Let's not be fooled by a handful of decent games.
Sign Letestu. Move Boll. Drop Tropp. I'm on the fence about Skille.

I think we can dump all tropp,skille and trolll

 

[Cyclones Rock]

I think Letestu is gone because of the combination of the glut of forwards and the looming cap issues. He'll be seeking top buck and term, as well he should, and I doubt he'll find that forthcoming from the CBJ.

If he does sign elsewhere, it's another mistake by the FO as he could have yielded some assets before the deadline

Bourque is not a replacement. He is awful. I haven't seen him play much in his two games here, but I've seen him play a lot over the past 3 seasons. If he's playing with energy and enthusiasm, just wait He'll become his normal disinterested and lazy self soon enough. Although next year IS a contract year for him.

 

[blahblah]

Who knows. The front office seems to like to dump good role players instead of paying them. No, AA isn't a role player - we'll probably overpay him for the role he has on this team. He should be a top six in this league.

 

[major major]

who is to say mark dosent take a discount.. I feel like he likes the city and I think the FO likes him.

I don't think Mark wants to be spending his prime years centering Tropp and Boll. He's not getting a chance to prove himself here.

 

[RyanOhReally]

Mark Letestu means so much to this team its ridiculous. Bring him back, dump Boll to a team who thinks they need him.

With Wiz gone, this team has a bit more money that I imagine will be used on guys like Jenner and Joey for raises in the next few years. I doubt they go and get an Erhoff or a Green.

Letestu, 6.0 Million, 3 Years/ 2.0 AAV

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I think Letestu is gone because of the combination of the glut of forwards and the looming cap issues. He'll be seeking top buck and term, as well he should, and I doubt he'll find that forthcoming from the CBJ.

If he does sign elsewhere, it's another mistake by the FO as he could have yielded some assets before the deadline

Bourque is not a replacement. He is awful. I haven't seen him play much in his two games here, but I've seen him play a lot over the past 3 seasons. If he's playing with energy and enthusiasm, just wait He'll become his normal disinterested and lazy self soon enough. Although next year IS a contract year for him.

If you watched more than two games he's played here, you would now he hasn't been awful for us. Quite the opposite really. Why do we care about what he's done in Montreal and Anaheim?

As for Letestu, I do agree with you. I feel the FO will let him walk.

 

[blahblah]

Mark Letestu means so much to this team its ridiculous. Bring him back, dump Boll to a team who thinks they need him.

I want to keep Letestu, but there is no evidence to support they are doing anything with Boll. The players have different roles, quit trying to link them. Boll's presence on the roster has little to nothing to do with Letestu's contract status.

 

[EspenK]

I think he is probably gone. As someone mentioned he should have been traded at the deadline for a pick. He's 30 years old. He is destined for the 4th line here. I think he'll look for at least a 3 year deal at a minimum of 2 mill. I think he easily gets that as a UFA.

I think the right course of action is to try and sign him even if its a 2.5 aav for 3 year and trade Anisimov. We would then be set at center for the next 3 years with Joey-Wennberg-Dubi-Letestu. Anisimov would be nice to have next year but after that I just don't see him here.He could either be packaged for the elusive top-4 D man or maybe a 1st and a prospect or lower pick?

 

[Cyclones Rock]

If you watched more than two games he's played here, you would now he hasn't been awful for us. Quite the opposite really. Why do we care about what he's done in Montreal and Anaheim?

As for Letestu, I do agree with you. I feel the FO will let him walk.

I'm comfortable analyzing a player over a 4 year period. Leopards don't change their spots. Perhaps Bourque isn't a Leopard. Until he changes his spots, I say that he is one.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I'm comfortable analyzing a player over a 4 year period. Leopards don't change their spots. Perhaps Bourque isn't a Leopard. Until he changes his spots, I say that he is one.

If the guy is on the same team, fine, but he's changed teams. Anaheim didn't give him a shot. He's scored almost 30 goals in the NHL before twice, that's not a fluke. Steve Mason was really really bad here after his rookie year, for what, 3 years? Now look at him in Philadelphia. I know you're going to point out age, but it's really not that big of a difference.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

If the guy is on the same team, fine, but he's changed teams. Anaheim didn't give him a shot. He's scored almost 30 goals in the NHL before twice, that's not a fluke. Steve Mason was really really bad here after his rookie year, for what, 3 years? Now look at him in Philadelphia. I know you're going to point out age, but it's really not that big of a difference.

I hope that I'm wrong.

I suspect that I'm not.

In the 4 years since his two consecutive 27 goal seasons with Calgary, he's scored 24 goals in 175 games-an 11 goals per 82 game pace.

He had a great playoffs last year, but other than that, he's been useless for almost 4 years.

The Jackets are giving him over 16 minutes per game with PP time. I suspect this experiment will end up being much like the last few years of trying to jump start RJ Umberger.

We shall see. Compared to the Clarkson situation, the Bourque scenario is dreamy. LOL

 

[major major]

If the guy is on the same team, fine, but he's changed teams. Anaheim didn't give him a shot. He's scored almost 30 goals in the NHL before twice, that's not a fluke. Steve Mason was really really bad here after his rookie year, for what, 3 years? Now look at him in Philadelphia. I know you're going to point out age, but it's really not that big of a difference.

IIRC Bourque had shifts with Getzlaf and Perry, and did diddly squat. He also had plenty of top opportunities in Montreal.

I think Bourque might still be able to change and gain some consistency, but if he does it'll be because something will change mentally for him, not because we were the first to give him the chance.

 

[EspenK]

Somebody posted the wrong title. It should say Rene Bourque instead of Mark Letestu. We seem to be doing a lot of this lately. Late season ADHD?

 

[CBJx614]

Somebody posted the wrong title. It should say Rene Bourque instead of Mark Letestu. We seem to be doing a lot of this lately. Late season ADHD?

Can only imagine how the boards will look come this offseason..




I hope we can retain him, but i definitely have doubts that we do.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Bourque's paycheck is an awfully big one for a fourth liner. Let's not be fooled by a handful of decent games.
Sign Letestu. Move Boll. Drop Tropp. I'm on the fence about Skille.

Bourque is here simply because his deal is unmoveable and if he continues to play well, then its justified and probably in a 4rd line role.

I certainly hope they resign Letestu they should know letting him go would just make the 4th line worse at this point.

Skille should be gone and would have been traded at the deadline if he wasn't injured.

Tropp needs to go as well but unfortunately a 2 year 1 way deal make him unmoveable this summer unless he is a thrown in on a deal. Same with Boll. Nobody will take that contract.

 

[Fro]

i think 55's status only has meaning based on what we do with 42....very little else

 

[punk_o_holic]

i think 55's status only has meaning based on what we do with 42....very little else

True, lets say Letestu wants $2.5 mil a season. If Columbus can't trade Anisimov, then having a $2.5 million 4th liner is pricey, especially with Boll making a lot for a 4th liner. Too much money on the 4th line. But if Anisimov is traded, Letestu as a 3rd liner making $2.5 isn't bad at all.

I wonder if Jarmo has made an offer but offering 4th line money(due to him being 4th on the depth chart at center as of now) while Letestu's agent is countering with 3rd line money saying Letestu could find a new team to be their 3rd liner/capable of being a 3rd line center with Columbus.

 

[Xoggz22]

I honestly haven't looked closely, but my perception is they Wennberg has taken Letestu's spot on the PP lately. Wasn't Mark on the point of PP-2? Letestu has always been known as smart and cerebral but his foot speed seemed to be a detriment with posting him higher in the lineup. At this point his best option in Columbus it's on the wing, in my opinion, but his game is better suited as a center. Seems like he is behind Dubi, Joey, AA and Wennberg at this time. Tough call but if the CBJ didn't retain Mackenzie I have a hard time believing they will keep Letestu

 

[EspenK]

i think 55's status only has meaning based on what we do with 42....very little else

I think this sums it up. As I stated before I'd try to keep Letesu and trade Anisimov's last year here away .

 

[Doggy]

I am hoping that the fact they did not move him at the deadline means they plan to keep him (and know what he wants).

It kills me to think how much money is tied up (wasted) on Clarkson/Horton, Boll and Bourque Small market teams cannot afford to make these kinds of contract mistakes. Isn't that like $10 Million on guys who should all be on the 4th line at best with Clarkson taking up more than half that hit for like five more years. Unreal!

 

[MoeBartoli]

I honestly haven't looked closely, but my perception is they Wennberg has taken Letestu's spot on the PP lately. Wasn't Mark on the point of PP-2? Letestu has always been known as smart and cerebral but his foot speed seemed to be a detriment with posting him higher in the lineup. At this point his best option in Columbus it's on the wing, in my opinion, but his game is better suited as a center. Seems like he is behind Dubi, Joey, AA and Wennberg at this time. Tough call but if the CBJ didn't retain Mackenzie I have a hard time believing they will keep Letestu

I have a sense Letestu will not be back. And I'm sorry to say that as I really like his game for bottom six pairings along with his versatility. However I don't think it's the fact he's behind the four centers above that will determine his fate. After all none of the above for a going to play fourth line. It is clear right Joe is on the top line and Wennberg seems to have found a groove playing with Dano and Scotty. So to me it either puts Dubi or AA playing wing or AA being dealt.

Letestu is a guy who can score some goals but he is better as a distributor. But it's tough to have success distributing to guys like Tropp, Skille and Boll. It is clear we are saddled with a couple of tough contracts and I'm not sure that buyouts are coming. So assuming they will play, you could have Clarkson and Bourque as fourth line wings. So do you try to get Letestu for $2 million to center some people that might be able to score or bring in a youngster from the AHL to handle that role? Crazy, I know, but it's worth putting on the table.

 

[Viqsi]

I am hoping that the fact they did not move him at the deadline means they plan to keep him (and know what he wants).

I seem to recall a GMJK quote to that effect (that they want to keep Letestu). Folks just didn't notice because OMFG CLARKSON.

 

[Mayor Bee]

I seem to recall a GMJK quote to that effect (that they want to keep Letestu). Folks just didn't notice because OMFG CLARKSON.

I recall the same. I merely dismissed it because the same was said about MacKenzie, and it turned out that despite wanting to keep him around, the player didn't want to sign something that may have been more dictating of terms than a negotiated extension.

In other words...."We'd like to keep Letestu, if he takes the league minimum to account for all this dead weight on the cap" or "We'd like to keep Letestu, if we're able to offload some of the guys who have done absolutely nothing" or "We'd like to keep Letestu, if he'll take a short-term contract until I can figure out how to juggle things out".

I'm not optimistic.