On the CBJ Oregon Trail, you know him as the eldest son of Morgan Langworthy. On being John Kempovich, you know him by the term “steal.” In the Lord of the Rings trilogy, you know him as Mr. Frodo Baggins. (Okay, that last one was a stretch…)
However you slice, it Mark Letestu has been a tremendous asset for the Columbus Blue Jackets; not to mention a favorite of the DKM Hockey team. It was announced today that Letestu’s contributions to the franchise have been rewarded with a new contract, worth a reported $1.25 million annually over the next two seasons.
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| Mark Letestu seems very happy with his new contract. (Image source: firstshowing.net.) |
Consider Mark Letestu’s 2012-13 season stats (with corresponding rank on the team)…
Games Played: 34 (T-5th)
Points: 21 (2nd)
Goals: 9 (T-2nd)
Assists: 11 (T-2nd)
Plus/Minus: +6 (2nd)
Short-Handed Goals: 2 (1st)
Game-Winning Goals: 2 (T-2nd)
(Source: nhl.com.)
…while also considering he ranked last among the team’s regulars for base salary this season. His $600K salary this season had him in the same ballpark with the likes of Colton Gilles, Nick Drazenovic and Dalton “Get to the Choppa” Prout. (Source: capgeek.com.) I’d say it was about high time to reward him with a new deal more aligned to his value to the organization, and offer a tip of the hat to President of Hockey Operations John Davidson and General Manager Jarmo Kekalainen for doing just that.
Congratulations to Mark Letestu on the contract extension and pay raise. We’re happy to be keeping your talents in Columbus.
Now he's in the ballpark of half a million less than Dorsett. The two year length of this contract tells me Letestu is giving the Blue Jackets a chance - If his production remains consistent, he'll have no problem getting 2+ million per year. This contract, however, is very tradeable.
ReplyDeleteIf Letestu is worth 1.25 million, Atkinson and will be lucky to get 2...