Mark Letestu knows he likely has only three games left as an Edmonton Oiler.
“It’s certainly a possibility. I’ve thought about it. You prepare for it that way,” Letestu said after Thursday’s practice. “I’ve prepared my family for it, my kids, even family outside my immediate family.”
Letestu, 33, is an unrestricted free agent in the summer and a prime candidate to help a contender as a depth player down the stretch and into the playoffs.
“The post-season is somewhere I’ve excelled. We’re not going to cast the stats aside there. We’re going to look at them,” said Letestu, who had 11 points in 13 playoff games for the Oilers last spring. “I’m a damn good player in the playoffs, and I think I can help anybody out if I get there.”
Letestu and Patrick Maroon are the leading candidates to be traded by the Oilers. The rest of the team knows a shakeup is coming.
“It’s not a fun feeling for a lot of guys,” captain Connor McDavid said. “These are guys who are my friends personally, guys that you don’t want to see go. Whether they go or not, that’s a different story. There’s definitely a lot more to the trade deadline than fans think. They think everyone is expendable, but there’s obviously a little bit of a personal level in the dressing room.”
For Letestu, that personal level extends to his home life and telling his young kids he might have to go play in another city.
“They won’t be coming with me if something happens. They don’t understand picking up and moving the family. They understand dad might have to switch jerseys,” Letestu said.
The NHL trade deadline is Monday at 1 p.m. 630 CHED will have special coverage starting at 11 a.m.
Comments