Kris Letang’s negotiations with the Pittsburgh Penguins took a very interesting turn Thursday night.
Letang turned down an eight-year, $54 million offer from the Penguins, according to Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Letang is said to be seeking a deal where he would earn $7.5 million per season but the Penguins may only have the wiggle room to pay him up to $7 million per season after locking up Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to mega-deals over the past few years.
Penguins GM Ray Shero has reportedly made signing Letang a major priority for the off-season.
The puck-moving defenceman is entering the final year of his contract – where he carries a cap hit of just $3.5 million.
On Wednesday night, reports surfaced that Letang could be interested in playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs if contract talks with the Penguins break down.
If Letang does not reach a deal on a new contract with Pittsburgh, the Penguins could put him on the trade market where they could command a huge return for the offensive weapon.
The Penguins made a similar move last offseason when they traded Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes.last after contract talks broke down with the centre.
Pittsburgh also re-signed forward Chris Kunitz to a three-year, $11.55-million deal earlier on Thursday.
