During Peter Chiarelli’s first free agency period with the Edmonton Oilers in 2015, he made a few significant moves. One, he snagged the top defender available on the market in Andrej Sekera with a six year deal. Two, he signed veteran centre Mark Letestu for three years. Boyd Gordon had just been traded to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Lauri Korpikoski at the time, so the Letestu signing made sense as a replacement on the fourth line.
There were some fans that scratched their heads about Letestu. Heck I’d even wager that the most common reaction to people seeing news of the signing was, “who?”
The Oilers didn’t really make any earth shattering moves that day to begin with. In light of how over-hyped and glamorous free agent frenzy is, I can’t blame the fans one bit for being a little bit put off by low profile signings. However, its these kind of deals that provide significant value and prove to be a difference maker in the long run.
Mark Letestu, the Alberta boy from Elk Point, has been a valuable veteran presence for the Edmonton Oilers this season. So far in 32 games he has accumulated 17 points. For a player who is looked at as a fourth liner, that type of offensive output is beyond exceeding expectations.
Letestu is reliable in the face-off dot. He has achieved a respectable 50.9 percent average in draws this season. There is no doubt that Todd McLellan trusts Letestu to get the job done. His average ice time is 14:10. Last night in San Jose, he player over 20 minutes.
The most obvious attribute in Letestu’s game is his incredible work ethic. On a nightly basis, he brings a level of compete that can definitely inspire his teammates. He is useful as a utility player and can play in virtually any situation.
Letestu is reliable defensively. I like players that back check and he does this well. He isn’t the fastest skater in the world, but is relatively quick on his feet and always manages to be one of the first Oilers to get back into the defensive zone. His face-off ability has come in handy on the power play and penalty kill.
People underestimate Letestu’s skill. He has terrific puck skills and can accurately pick corners with his quick wrister. A lot of his goals this season have come off of weird-angled rebounds and shots from the slot. He will go to the net and get his nose dirty.
On the power play, since Letestu is the only right-handed centerman the Oilers have, he is used for face-off purposes. However, he moves the puck well and controls the flow of puck movement on the power play.
The 31 year old veteran of 433 games will be a free agent after next season. There is also potential of Letestu being unprotected in the expansion draft. A decision will have to be made on him at some point.
Regardless, Letestu is a solid complementary piece in the bottom 6 and can move up and down the depth chart wherever needed during times of injury or short-handedness. The Oilers are playoff contenders and will need increased depth to go far.
Letestu is the perfect player with the right amount of experience that a team can take deep into a playoff run with. Many successful playoff teams have a healthy sum of players like gritty Letestu on their roster. These types of players help a team get over the hump of winning and going far because they add that jam and flavour to a roster that needs an extra push.
When the trade deadline hits, Peter Chiarelli will undoubtably be looking to increase his depth for a playoff push. Adding a few more experienced, useful veterans with playoff experience like Letestu will make a huge difference for the Edmonton Oilers playoff hopes. Character, character, character. Thats the key. Letestu is the definition of that.
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