Penguins defenseman Kris Letang expected to rejoin team this week

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is expected to rejoin the Penguins this week after being on a leave of absence to attend to family matters since Jan. 2.

Coach Mike Sullivan provided an update on Letang’s status following a morning skate at PPG Paints Arena on Monday.

Letang has been on leave following the death of his father, Claude Fouquet, on Dec. 31 in Montreal. The team attended services for Fouquet on Jan. 9.

The past seven weeks have been trying for Letang. In addition to his father’s death, Letang suffered a stroke Nov. 28 that caused him to miss five games.

At the time of Fouquet’s death, Letang had been sidelined for one game due to an undisclosed injury. Last week, Sullivan indicated Letang still needs to rehabilitate from that ailment before returning to play.

A six-time All-Star, the 35-year-old Letang still leads the team’s defensemen in scoring this season with 16 points (two goals, 14 assists) in 29 games. He also leads the team’s non-goaltenders in average ice time with 24:32 per contest.

Notes:

• The Penguins are expected to start goaltender Casey DeSmith in Monday’s home game against the Anaheim Ducks at PPG Paints Arena.

In 17 games this season, DeSmith has a 5-9-2 record, a 3.10 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.

DeSmith has played in two career games against the Ducks and has a 1-1-0 record, a 1.51 goals against average, a .956 save percentage and one shutout.

• Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson is expected to return to the lineup after missing the past two games due to an undisclosed illness.

In 40 games this season, Pettersson has 11 assists while averaging 20:43 of ice time per contest.

• Injured Penguins defenseman Jeff Petry (suspected left arm) and forward Ryan Poehling (undisclosed) rejoined teammates for a full morning skate at PPG Paints Arena on Monday. Both players skated in a non-contact fashion.

Petry has been on long-term injured reserve since Dec. 11. In the late stages of a 3-1 home win against the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 10, Petry was slammed into his own end boards by Sabres forward Alex Tuch. Holding his left arm, Petry left the ice immediately in considerable discomfort.

A few minutes later, Petry spoke with reporters in the dressing room and indicated he was fine.

“It hurt,” Petry said on Dec. 10. “But I’m all right.”

Less than 24 hours, he was on long-term injured reserve and has missed the past 14 games.

On Monday, he offered some clarity over his initial self-diagnosis.

“That first examination, I didn’t think it was going to be what it was,” Petry said. “Then overnight and into the next day, I think that’s where it kind of showed, the severity of it. Obviously, I wish it was fine. Taking the time and taking the steps to get back and be able to hopefully play soon.”

As for Poehling, he has missed 10 of the past 11 games due to his malady. The lone game he played in during that stretch was a 4-2 home loss to the New Jersey Devils.

“I thought I was better and I wasn’t,” Poehling said of playing through the injury that night. “That was the main issue. We’re getting things figured out which is great. I have some direction on where I want to go.”

Poehling is currently designated to regular injured reserve.

In addition to the morning skate, Petry and Poehling each worked out on the ice earlier in the day with fellow injured teammates, forward Josh Archibald and Tristan Jarry, each of whom are also designated to regular injured reserve.

• A day after being recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL), Penguins rookie forward Jonathan Gruden is expected to make his NHL debut. He worked as the team’s fourth-line center during line rushes in the morning skate.

Gruden, 22, has appeared in 32 AHL games this season and has 16 points (11 goals, five assists).

• The Penguins’ lines and pairs today were:

59 Jake Guentzel – 87 Sidney Crosby – 17 Bryan Rust

16 Jason Zucker – 71 Evgeni Malkin – 67 Rickard Rakell

10 Drew O’Connor – 53 Teddy Blueger – 77 Jeff Carter

23 Brock McGinn – 45 Jonathan Gruden – 42 Kasperi Kapanen

28 Marcus Pettersson – 44 Jan Rutta

8 Brian Dumoulin – 42 Ty Smith

73 P.O Joseph – 2 Chad Ruhwedel

• Defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Danton Heinen skated as reserves.

• The top power-play unit included Crosby, Guentzel, Malkin, Rakell and Smith. The second unit involved Carter, Joseph, Kapanen, Rust and Zucker.

• Rakell is expected to play against the Anaheim Ducks for the first time since the Ducks traded him to the Penguins on Feb. 21, 2022.

• The Ducks are expected to start goaltender John Gibson. A native of Whitehall, Gibson has appeared in 29 games this season and has a 7-19-3 record, a 4.14 goals against average, an .894 save percentage and one shutout.