We learned on Hockey Night in Canada that Kris Letang may be available and it makes you think whether the Montreal Canadiens could be a destination for him.
When all is quiet in NHL-land, we can always rely on the intermissions to spark the fandom. Whether it’s on Hockey Night in Canada or Insider Trading on TSN, the panel has a knack for giving us something to talk about. Considering where the Montreal Canadiens are in their season, all talk is usually trade related.
According to HNIC, the Pittsburgh Penguins may be shopping Kris Letang. Pittsburgh hasn’t been having it’s usual Metropolitan dominating season so far. Additionally, Letang is far from being his dominant self, and the fact that they were able to win a Stanley Cup without him may make him more expendable.
Obviously, a defenceman like Letang could help the Habs right now. Although he’s not having too good of a season, he still does have two goals and 23 assists. He’s also a smooth enough skater to join the rush as the fourth attacker but get back in time to cover up for the rest of the players on the ice. However, there are a couple of reasons why this wouldn’t work.
Nick Kypreos said on the panel that Pittsburgh would be looking for two pieces in return: a center and a top winger. If we’re putting any stock into the rumors around Alex Galchenyuk possibly joining the Pens earlier, he could be the center that they would want. Even though the Montreal Canadiens don’t see Galchenyuk as a center, doesn’t mean the rest of the league doesn’t.
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Montreal would be all in for a one-for-one deal between Galchenyuk and Letang, but I don’t see Jim Rutherford agreeing to it. Perhaps Max Pacioretty would have to go the other way in the deal as well.
It also doesn’t make sense to have two right-handed defencemen making north of $7 million on the team. Claude Julien could decide just to play Letang with Shea Weber anyway, but playing two rightys together isn’t ideal.
Alright, but what if the Habs send Weber to Pittsburgh? For one, a defenceman isn’t on their wish list, and a part of moving Letang is to shed salary. Weber makes $12 million in actual salary but his cap hit is closer to $7.85 million which wouldn’t interest Rutherford at all.
As great as it would be to have a Montreal-native play for the team, it wouldn’t be worth it in the end. Granted the Montreal Canadiens may not even be on Rutherford’s radar for this move, but only time will tell.
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Do you think the Montreal Canadiens should pursue Letang? Let us know down in the comments.