Kris Letang Could be a More Realistic Target for the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for an upgrade on the right side of defense and veteran Kris Letang could be a realistic option for them to target.

Current St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo has been regularly linked with a move to the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency next month, but a more realistic target could be Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Leafs need to upgrade the right side of their blueline corps if they hope to become a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and adding a veteran that can have an immediate impact appears to be the direction that general manager Kyle Dubas will take this off-season.

Having already been trade partners with the Penguins’ Jim Rutherford, who certainly appears to still be open for business, the Leafs could once again benefit from giving him another call on a player that is regularly rumoured to be on his way out.

Letang Over Pietrangelo

At 33 years old, Letang is in the latter stages of his career and would bring with him a wealth of experience and success, having played over 800 regular-season games with three Stanley Cup championships to his name.

Despite his age, he is still a top player and registered 15 goals and 44 total points in 61 regular-season games with the Penguins last season, throwing over 100 hits and blocking 91 points with his 6-foot, 201lbs frame – all the while still registering over 25 minutes of ice time per game. (Stats via Hockey Reference).

He shoots right, plays big minutes and contributes well at both ends of the ice, while also costing less than what Pietrangelo will if he signs in free agency.

Letang’s current deal expires in 2022, costing $7.25 million in each of the next two seasons, all in base salary and no signing bonuses, with the Penguins potentially willing to eat a small chunk of his salary ($1 – $2 million) to help accommodate his departure, with the organisation looking to offload salary in a big way after the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic hit.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, looking to upgrade, could do well to add a shorter-term deal such as Letang’s, as it would give them an immediate impact player, but will not tie them into a long-term situation that becomes difficult to manage further down the road.

Having a guy that can give them top minutes and be a legitimate impact player over the next two years will allow the Leafs to fully develop someone such as Timothy Liljegren, who still has legitimate NHL upside, and would allow them to add in one or two other young players that can be the long-term future on the right side.

Once Letang’s deal is up, the organization should have a couple of guys that can step up and fill the hole and it allows them more flexibility in the long-run, whereas signing Pietrangelo to a seven-year deal, potentially in excess of $8 million, would mean they have him and his cap hit for far longer and for a significantly more monetary terms.

It might take offering a guy such as Andreas Johnsson in a package deal, with Pittsburgh needing to cut costs while still adding talent that can play right away, but it is a cost that the Toronto Maple Leafs should seriously consider if the opportunity presents itself.