Penguins Predictions: Will Kris Letang remain among game's elite defensemen?

The last time the Pittsburgh Penguins gathered in their locker room at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, defenseman Kris Letang supplied the fireworks.

In the wake of a couple of high-profile mistakes that cost his team goals in a first-round playoff loss to the New York Islanders a few days earlier, Letang emphatically bristled at the idea that he needed to do some soul searching.

“I don’t think the (answer) is to change my whole game,” Letang said. “I am not going to (allow) three plays in my whole year (change) the type of game I play, you know?”

So is that good news or bad news for the Penguins?

Looking at the big picture, it’s very good.

Letang is coming off one of the finest seasons in his 13-year NHL career. His 16 goals tied a career high. His 56 points were the second-best total of his career. Most impressively, he finished as a plus-13 despite being on the ice for 11 shorthanded goals against and nine empty-net goals the Penguins allowed.

If Letang turns in the exact same regular season performance that he did a year ago, the Penguins will take that and smile all the way to the playoffs.

The Penguins reportedly explored the idea of trading Letang in what would have been a seismic roster shake-up in the offseason. They didn’t move him, of course, perhaps discovering a truth that the numbers from last season illustrate pretty well.

Letang is an indispensible part of the team’s attack. When he was on the ice at five on five, the Penguins outscored their opponents, 78-49. When he wasn’t, they outscored foes only 104-101.

Where would they be if he fundamentally changed his game?

THE QUESTION

Where will Letang finish in the Norris Trophy voting?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A. Top five

Letang has the kind of profile that attracts Norris voters. First, he has eye-catching offensive numbers. Last year, he finished fifth among NHL defensemen in goals and eighth in points. Second, he has name value. Letang has been a key cog for a championship-level team for more than a decade. Finally, there’s a good chance he’ll be on the ice for considerably more goals for than goals against, which is, after all, the name of the game.

B. Top 10

Whether it’s because he missed some games to injury or was overshadowed by other candidates, Letang has only finished in the top five in Norris voting twice in his career. He’s finished between sixth and ninth four times, including a sixth-place showing last year. It’s not reasonable to ask Letang to have a better year at age 32 than he did at age 31, and status quo should get him in the back end of the top 10.

C. Outside the top 10

The discussion about Letang changing his game can easily be dismissed as talk-radio fodder that isn’t an actual concern in the real world. Letang’s injury history, on the other hand, is something the Penguins can legitimately worry about. He’s got a surgically repaired neck and a history of concussions. He plays an aggressive style, sticking his nose into physical situations on a regular basis. He was limited to 65 games last season. It’s hard for him to keep his games-played total high enough to receive many awards votes.

THE PREDICTION

B. Top 10

Letang is a multi-faceted player. Yes, in an effort to make plays, he probably makes more mistakes with the puck than the average defender. Yes, he’s prone to injuries at this stage in his career. Most importantly, he’s a dynamic skater and puck mover who drives his team’s offensive attack as well as any defenseman in the league. Add it up and top 10 sounds about right.

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