Penguins A to Z: Kris Letang continues to dazzle but frustrate
As the NHL prepares for a new season scheduled to start in mid-January, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 48 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.
Kris Letang
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Age: 33
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 201 pounds
2019-20 NHL statistics: 61 games, 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists)
Contract: Seventh-year of an eight-year contract with a salary cap hit of $7.25 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2022
Acquired: Third-round draft pick (No. 62 overall), July 30, 2005
Last season: Kris Letang made history in a manner most befitting the Penguins’ fortunes in 2019-20.
He was selected to an All-Star Game event for the sixth time in his career, breaking the mark of selections by a defenseman in franchise history that he previously shared with the legendary Paul Coffey.
But only received that honor due to injury.
Forward Jake Guentzel was initially selected as the Penguins’ lone representative in December but a significant right shoulder injury ended his regular season before New Year’s Eve. The NHL then gave the nod to Letang.
That’s not to say Letang wasn’t worthy of the recognition. Despite missing eight games due to his own maladies, Letang had 15 goals, the fourth-highest total among defensemen last season.
Additionally, his average ice time of 25 minutes, 44 seconds per contest was fourth-highest in the NHL, regardless of position.
In many ways, it was a typical season for Letang. Lots of good mixed in with some injuries.
Oh, and don’t forget some of the spectacularly bad moments.
When the NHL resumed play in August for the postseason, Letang was once again bolted on to the top pairing with long-time partner Brian Dumoulin. In four playoff games, Letang was quiet, failing to record a point as the Penguins were upset by the Montreal Canadiens in the preliminary round.
The future: One of the more significant moves of the Penguins’ offseason was the return of assistant coach Todd Reirden who will oversee the team’s blue line.
During his previous stint in that role from 2010-14, Reirden steered much of Letang’s development as he took over as the Penguins’ top defenseman and became an All-Star. Much of what Letang became can be attributed to Reirden’s guidance during that time.
Whether it be with the Penguins or his most recent employer, the Washington Capitals, Reirden has a marvelous track record of working with defensemen and working out the wrinkles in their game.
That said, Letang had the benefit of working with previous assistant coaches Sergei Gonchar and Jacques Martin for the past handful of seasons and there were still some significant malfunctions to his play at critical junctures. So there’s no guarantee Reirden’s voice will resonate any differently.
Regardless of who is providing guidance, Letang will be the team’s top defenseman in all situations — health providing — and will continue to dazzle, as well as frustrate, most nights.
Long term, Letang’s future is curious. He’s approaching the end of his lengthy contract. And should the team have another unappetizing performance in the postseason, his spectacular but imperfect tenure as the greatest defenseman in franchise history could be near its conclusion.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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