Penguins A to Z: What is Kris Letang's value?

With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is looking at all 48 players currently under NHL contracts to the organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to top-six winger Jason Zucker.

Kris Letang

Position: Defenseman

Shoots: Right

Age: 34

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 201 pounds

2020-21 NHL statistics: 55 games, 45 points (seven goals, 38 assists)

Contract: Seventh-year of an eight-year contract with a salary cap hit of $7.25 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2022

(Note: According to Cap Friendly, Letang’s contract has a no-movement clause as well as a modified no-trade clause which allows him to submit a list of 18 teams he would accept a trade to.)

Acquired: Third-round draft pick (No. 62 overall), July 30, 2005

2020-21 season: Kris Letang experienced something of a rarity this past season.

That’s to say he was healthy as he missed only one game in early February due to an undisclosed injury.

That was quite an accomplishment for a player who has had his career derailed at times by all kinds of devastating ailments such as herniated discs in his neck, concussions and even a stroke. And by the way, the 2020-21 campaign included a condensed schedule while dealing with the realities of a global pandemic.

But Letang was much more than just a body in the lineup most nights. He was one of the Penguins’ most dynamic and reliable players this past season.

Reunited with assistant coach Todd Reirden, Letang posted 45 points in 55 games, one more point than the 44 he recorded in 61 games in 2019-20.

Part of that success could be tied to his ice time. The Penguins effectively managed Letang’s workload as he averaged 24:39 of ice time per games this past season. In contrast, he logged an average of 25:51 per contest over his previous six campaigns.

In the postseason, Letang led his team, as underwhelming as it was, in scoring with six points (one goal, five assists) in six games as the Penguins fell to the New York Islanders.

The future: In the aftermath of a quick ejection from the postseason for a third consecutive year, it was fair to wonder if Letang would remain with the Penguins heading into the final year of his contract.

General manager Ron Hextall quashed that speculation on June 2 when he suggested “the core” – i.e. Letang as well as forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin – still has a future with the Penguins.

(Note: Letang’s no-movement clause means the Penguins must protect him in this month’s expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken franchise.)

So what does that mean in regards to a potential contract extension? All parties concerned seem legitimately interested in maintaining this marriage. With a salary cap hit of $7.25 million a season, Letang’s deal has become something of a bargain as the years have passed. But what kind of money and term should the Penguins invest into a defenseman in his mid-30s who does have a history of medical woes and is still prone to errors that can lead to offensive chances for the opposition?

As indicated by his ninth-place finish in voting for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, an honor that recognizes the top overall defenseman in the NHL, Letang is still one of the better rearguards in the NHL and is critically vital to just about every aspect of the Penguins’ overall game. And as a right-handed defenseman, he is inherently more valuable than most southpaws.

Trying to figure out what Letang is worth as approaches his 35th birthday on April 24, 2022 won’t be an easy task for Hextall and company, especially given the NHL’s woeful economic situation due to the pandemic.

But there are few players who have been - and remain - as valuable to this franchise as Kris Letang.

Follow the penguins all season long.