Penguins A to Z: Less might be more for Kris Letang

With the Pittsburgh Penguins entering the offseason for a third consecutive year without a playoff appearance, TribLive will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 56 individuals signed to an NHL contract – including those whose deals do not begin until future seasons — with the organization.

Starting with Noel Acciari and going on through to Philip Tomasino (regrettably, there is no Z on the payroll), every player will be profiled in alphabetical order.

This series is scheduled to be published Mondays through Saturdays leading up until June 24, four days before the start of the NHL Draft. In the event of a transaction, that schedule will be altered as necessary.

(Note: All contract information courtesy of Puckpedia.)

Kris Letang

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Right

Age: 38

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 193 pounds

2024-25 NHL statistics: 74 games, 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists), 23:32 of average ice time per contest

Contract: In the third year of a six-year contract with a salary cap hit of $6.1 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2028.

(This contract contains a no-movement clause through all six years. The final two years have a 10-team no-trade clause.)

Acquired: Third-round draft pick (No. 62 overall), July 31, 2005

This season: When Kris Letang signed his current contract on July 7, 2022, he was almost indignant when asked about the potential of still playing at an All-Star level in his early 40s when the deal will expire.

“I always saw my career going that far,” Letang said at the Bell Centre in Montreal that evening. “For the time I put in my training, the way I do my (conditioning) off the ice, in my mind, I was going to play at that level until I was 40, 41, 42. Maybe even more.”

Just completing a season at the age of 37 was a considerable challenge, however.

Throughout 2024-25, Letang endured what might have been the least impressive season of his 19-year career. Injuries, illness and just simple age seemed to impede Letang throughout the campaign.

Opening the season on the top pairing with left-hander Matt Grzelcyk, Letang got off to a bit of a fast start with three points (two goals, one assist) in his first four games.

Power play goal for Pittsburgh!

Scored by Kris Letang with 09:02 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Toronto: 0
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsTOR #LeafsForever #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/1QPVbhHIph

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 12, 2024

But he was unable to sustain that momentum and generated only three assists in his next 14 contests.

After missing three games due to an undisclosed illness in mid-November, Letang’s most productive stretch of hockey happened to coincide with the team’s strongest portion of the season, at least based on wins.

Between Nov. 27 and Dec. 19, the Penguins posted an 8-2-1 record that propelled them into a playoff-worthy spot in the standings. Over those 11 games, Letang generated 10 points (five goals, five assists).

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Kris Letang with 13:06 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Matt Grzelcyk and Blake Lizotte.

Pittsburgh: 3
Florida: 1#FLAvsPIT #LetsGoPens #TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/yPEXyM034n

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) December 4, 2024

Around New Year’s Day, Letang missed three more games due to an undisclosed injury. Once he recuperated from that ailment, Letang’s production just never got back on track, especially after he and fellow All-Star defenseman Erik Karlsson largely ceded a role on the top power-play unit to Grzelcyk.

Even beyond the basic offensive figures, Letang’s play without the puck just seemed to resemble that of a player in his late 30s and not the defenseman who had been an impactful all-around talent for nearly two decades.

Cole Reinhardt bodies Letang on a drive, which causes more chaos. #GoSensGo

Nedeljkovic tripped Reinhardt after the play which forced a response. Cole Reinhardt is a fun player. Dude plays HARD and isn't afraid to mix it up. pic.twitter.com/uxzhtuxvLC

— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) January 11, 2025

After the calendar flipped to 2025, Letang appeared in 40 games and generated only 14 points over that span.

With one game remaining in 2024-25, Letang’s season came to an end April 17 when the team announced he underwent heart surgery to repair a small hole that had previously led to strokes. He required a timeframe of four to six weeks for recovery.

The future: The timing of Letang’s surgery will allow him to have as full as possible of an offseason to return to his long-renowned training regimen. And a fanatical approach to maintaining his physical attributes is the primary reason he has been such an effective player for such a long time, even despite some considerable medical challenges.

But time is undefeated and Letang, who turned 38 on April 24, looks like he’s starting to incur more and more losses in that battle.

That said, he can still be an effective player for the Penguins, particularly if he inhabits a smaller role or is simply deployed less. And the Penguins certainly seemed to begin steering Letang in that direction. This past season, he logged less than 24 minutes a game for the first time since 2009-10 (21:34), his third full campaign in the NHL.

Less might be more for Letang who has three years remaining on his contract.