Kristopher Letang: Kent Hughes must not touch this contract

In recent days, we’ve learned that defenseman Kristopher Letang has reportedly asked Kyle Dubas to see if the possibility of sending him to Montreal was ever on the table.

One has to wonder if Letang, who is attached to Quebec, asked this more to come home and play for his former childhood agent ‘s team, or really to leave Pittsburgh.

Unless something happened with the Penguins (he’s angry about the Erik Karlsson situation, for example), I imagine it was more to bring his family back to Quebec that he asked for this.

Let’s face it: I imagine there are plenty of people who’d like to see Letang with the Habs. He’d be an instant face of the Habs, a crowd and media favorite, and a great mentor for the youngsters.

And on the ice, he’s still going strong.

But the problem is, I don’t think the Habs can afford to eat that contract. The Québécois defenseman has four years left on his contract at $6.1 million per season.

Remember, he’s 37 years old.

PENGUIN FOR LIFE!

The Penguins have agreed to terms with defenseman Kris Letang on a six-year, $36.6 million contract extension.

Details: https://t.co/QyYvtPAm3v pic.twitter.com/UeONaY63EN

– Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 7, 2022

You might say that a salary restraint could be on the table, but at $6.1 million per year, he’d be paid more than Kaiden Guhle – even once his $5.55-million-per-year contract is in effect.

Can the Habs afford to pay that much to a 37-year-old defenseman with a long medical history?

Unfortunately, Letang’s heart problems (and I’m not talking about a lack of effort here) mean that, one day, doctors may ask him to the long-term injured list. And that’s even if he managed to play 82 games in 2023-2024.

I don’t necessarily see him playing another four years, even if he’s still more than capable of keeping up with the NHL pace.

Kris Letang was a man on a mission tonight pic.twitter.com/DDLrnxnCR1

– NHL (@NHL) December 28, 2023

Letang, in the short term, would block the Habs’ young defensemen and in the long term, he’d either be very old or he’d be on the long-term injured list, much like Carey Price is right now. Does Kent Hughes need that on his bulk? I don’t think so, no.

Even if having a guy like him could be (very) interesting in many ways, we have to conclude that his four-year contract is too burdensome for Habs management to be interested in the player.

Extension

It should be noted that Kent Hughes was not Letang’s agent when he signed his most recent contract. The contract was signed in the summer of 2022, a few months after Hughes left Letang and his other clients to take over as GM in Montreal.

Tying himself to the contract as GM would seem like a sentimental decision.