As Rob Rossi has begun to wave the flag on behalf of the Fenway Sports Group, we are being told that the Crosby, Malkin, Letang era is over. As the Fenway Group is unable to come to an agreement with two of the three superstars leaving us in uncertain territory for the summer and possibly for years to come. Hopefully, the franchise is able to come to an agreement soon with their Hall of Fame defenceman but in case they are not, here is a list of potential landing spots for one of the biggest free agents on the market.
01 – Montreal Canadians
Incase you have been living under a rock for the past two decades, Kris Letang is a french Canadian. It is a dream for anyone who falls in this cross-section to play for the Montreal Canadians. But wait it gets better. The captaincy for Montreal is open, imagine a French Canadian boy returns home to wear the C and right the ship for the once-proud franchise. Now the Canadians are up against it with the cap. They have no wiggle room, and as a franchise rebuilding, they would most likely have zero interest in singing a thirty-five-year-old defenceman whose better days are behind him. But there is something about that connection that has always had Letang in rumors headed to Montreal.
02 – Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have managed to sneak into the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs, but boy are they lucky. A large part of the Oiler’s problem is on their blueline. They have no true top Dman back there which leaves them without a powerplay quarterback. Tuns out Kris Letang is both of those things. We know Ken Holland and the Oilers aren’t afraid to sign older players if they think it can help them win now. Letang may be able to do that. They would need to make some pretty easy moves to open up the needed cap space for Letang. They would need to buy out Duncan Kieth and move away from their current goaltending tandem. Which in all honesty are things they need to do anyway. Letang would immediately give them a guy who plays 30 minutes a night, puts up points on the back end, and solidifies their powerplay.
03 – New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are just one year removed from back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. They have a roster that has young talented players on it, and with a new incoming coach, they will be looking to return to the playoffs next season. They also have one of the best young defensemen in the league in Noah Dobson who could use a person to learn from. Who better than the three-time Stanley Cup Champion. Now the cap situation for them is hard. Their entire 4th line eats up more than 8 million in cap space. It’s also hard to imagine Luo Lamerillo giving a big contract to anyone. But Letang could be a great piece for them to add to solidify that blueline and give their young superstar defenceman some tutelage.
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