Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (illness) will remain sidelined for Saturday's game against San Jose. He exited the lineup due to an illness on Friday versus Columbus and isn't ready to return just yet. Jack St. Ivany filled in for Letang on Saturday. He recorded four blocks and two hits with one shot in 18:40 of ice time. There's going to be another change at the back on Saturday, with Owen Pickering entering the lineup for his NHL debut. He was prolific during his junior career but hasn't fully blossomed on the pro level. In 12 AHL appearances this season, Pickering has contributed one goal.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (illness) will miss Friday's game against Columbus. He will exit the lineup due to an illness and should be regarded as questionable for Saturday's matchup versus San Jose. With nearly a quarter of the season gone, Letang has been a disappointment for fantasy managers. The offensively gifted rearguard has amassed six points (two goals, four assists) in 18 games. Jack St. Ivany will join the top-four group in defense on Friday. He has been limited to one assist in 14 appearances and has no fantasy value. The Penguins have also called up Owen Pickering from the minors.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang registered three assists as the team continued its hot spell with a 6-5 victory in Boston on Thursday. Letang did all the work in even-strength situations, ending a three-game run without a point. The Penguins have now gone 6-1-1 across their last eight games, although Letang's performances have been mixed. He's had points in only three of the matches, collecting one goal and 11 assists. The veteran blue-liner has done a large chunk of his offensive work during the last couple of weeks, as Letang has posted 26 points (three goals, 23 assists) in 37 games for the season.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang made history on Wednesday, becoming the first defenseman in NHL history to collect five assists in a single period. Letang notched an apple on five consecutive second-period goals to break the record, and added another assist in the third period for good measure. With the six assists, Letang now has nine points in his last two games. He appears to be catching fire and should be added in any shallow leagues where he is on the waiver wire, as we know how good he can be when all systems are firing.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is good to go for Saturday's game against the St. Louis Blues after missing Thursday's practice due to a lower-body injury. "We're just monitoring," Letang said after he logged a hefty 24:35 of ice time in a loss to the Red Wings on Wednesday. The veteran blueliner has a lengthy history of injuries throughout his 18-year NHL career but has been productive with a trio of assists with six shots, four blocks, six hits, and two penalty minutes across his first four games this season. However, with the club's offseason addition of Erik Karlsson, Letang's fantasy stock has taken a serious hit, mostly due to the loss of first-unit power play duties. At the same time, he is still a cross-category contributor who is very much still fantasy-relevant.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (lower-body) is now expected to play against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, according to head coach Mike Sullivan. Letang was originally doubtful for this weekend's game, but after returning to practice Friday he appears ready to go. He will return to the top pair and second powerplay unit but could see time on the top unit if the Penguins' powerplay falters. For now, though, expect a slight point decrease for the 36-year-old while Erik Karlsson takes that precious powerplay time. Fortunately, Letang is still very useful due to his five-on-five production and peripheral stats.
Kris Letang Doubtful For The Weekend Due To Lower-Body Injury
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang might have to skip his first game of the season Saturday against St. Louis because he sustained a lower-body injury Wednesday versus Detroit. The three-time Stanley Cup champion managed to complete the game, but he couldn't practice on Thursday. Letang went scoreless Wednesday night but has started the campaign reasonably well, notching three points in four outings with six hits and a plus-three rating. Ryan Shea is expected to make his NHL debut Saturday if Letang isn't available. The 26-year-old has shown some upside in the AHL, notching 60 points (10 goals, 50 assists) in 136 appearances over the previous two seasons with the Texas Stars.
Kris Letang Scores Game-Winning Goal Against Avalanche
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang scored the game-winning goal in Tuesday's 2-1 overtime victory against the Avalanche. Penguins forward Bryan Rust tied the game with under four minutes remaining in the third period to send it to the extra frame, where Letang beat Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz as the Penguins penalty expired to win the game on home ice. Letang is a quality option across all fantasy formats as the veteran defenseman has totaled five goals and 21 points through 33 games.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang exploded for four points when he returned from an 11-game absence Tuesday against Florida. He already had two points by the time the first intermission came around and tallied two goals and two assists in the end, finishing off the big night with a 7-6 game-winning goal in overtime. Letang collected half of the points on the power play. The six-time All-Star has had a disappointing campaign in 2022-23 with 20 points in 30 games, but it looks like he's ready to have a big finish to the season.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (lower body) could be back in action Tuesday against Florida, with the team regarding him as a game-time decision for the contest. He hasn't played since Dec. 28, missing 11 games. The veteran has posted 16 points in 29 games this season with 57 shots on goal, 75 hits and 50 blocks. It's not been a great campaign for Letang, but he remains a vital piece for the Penguins blue line and should be able to improve his form during the latter half of the season.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (personal) is set to miss a fourth consecutive game Sunday against Arizona. He recently lost his father, and before that, Letang was also dealing with a lower-body injury. The 35-year-old, whose rough season includes the second stroke of his career, has been able to skate in just 29 games for the Penguins this term, earning 16 points. Ty Smith has taken over Letang's duties on the first power-play unit and even led the team in ice time with 23:38 Thursday versus Vegas. He also notched his first point of the campaign via a goal Thursday, and Smith should continue to play a big role until Letang is back.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (lower body) remains day-to-day and could be forced to sit out Monday's Winter Classic against Boston. He has already missed one game after getting hurt last Wednesday against Detroit. After also having suffered a stroke in November, Letang has been limited to just 29 appearances this season. He has been far from his best, logging only two goals and 14 assists. Ty Smith has joined the first power-play in his absence, while Letang's regular defense partner Marcus Pettersson has been practicing with Jan Rutta ahead of Monday's special matchup.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is nursing a lower-body injury and will miss Friday's contest against New Jersey. He sustained the injury in Wednesday's clash with Detroit and is considered day-to-day. The veteran rearguard is having one of the worst seasons in his career offensively, sitting on only 16 points in 29 games. However, Letang still plays a huge role for the Penguins and his absence will hurt a lot in a situation where Jeff Petry (upper body) is already unavailable. Ty Smith is set to partner Marcus Pettersson in Letang's absence on Friday.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was back in action Saturday against Buffalo just 12 days after suffering a stroke. He logged 22:14 of ice time and helped his team to a 3-1 victory with three blocks and seven hits. The veteran star also picked up two penalty minutes. It's some story, with Letang having sat out only five games because of the stroke. It wasn't his first stroke either, as Letang also suffered one in 2014. He ended up missing over two months back then, with tests revealing that he was born with a very small hole in the wall of his heart. Letang has tallied 12 points in 22 games this season, and hopefully, he will be able to remain in the lineup for the rest of the way.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (heart) skated with a regular jersey in Thursday's practice just 10 days after suffering the second stroke of his career. It's still unclear when and if Letang can return to action, but it's certainly a very encouraging sign to see him back at practice so soon after the incident. He missed a little over two months after his first stroke. Even at 35, Letang has remained a vital piece for Pittsburgh at both ends of the ice, recording 12 points in 21 games this season with 44 hits and 34 blocks. He's been out for four games and Jeff Petry has led all skaters in ice time each time in Letang's absence, recording two points with seven shots, 17 hits and 10 blocks.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang suffered a stroke on Monday and will be out indefinitely. He surprisingly didn't appear in the lineup for Tuesday's game against Carolina and now we know why. Luckily, it's not expected to be a long-term thing and it's not career-threatening either. Letang also suffered a stroke in 2014, but he was then able to return to action in two months. The six-time All-Star had just started to recover from a slow start to the season and he has one goal and 11 assists for the campaign. Fantasy managers might want to check if Jeff Petry is available. He received a big boost in playing time Tuesday and took over Letang's spot on the first power-play unit.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was back from a one-game absence on Wednesday and logged a power-play assist in a 6-3 loss to Buffalo. He teamed up with Evgeni Malkin just seconds into the third period to help Jake Guentzel score with the man advantage. Letang had sat out Tuesday's 6-5 loss to Boston with an illness. He skated for 23:24, which is exactly his season average, so it looks like the veteran defenseman has fully shaken off the bug. Unfortunately, Letang didn't have a great night in even-strength situations, finishing minus-three. His line also included one shot, three blocks and two hits. With his season averages for both hits and blocks standing at 1.80 per game, Letang has done well on the defensive end, but his production in attack has been lacking. He was five games without a point prior to Wednesday's action and sits on only five points in 10 games for the season.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (illness) is a game-time decision for Tuesday's big matchup against Boston. He skipped Monday's practice because of an illness and it's possible he won't feel well enough to play either. Letang has been quiet so far this season, collecting only four points, but his absence will obviously leave a huge hole on the Penguins blue line. Jeff Petry should slot into Letang's spot on the top defensive pairing and the first power-play unit if the six-time All-Star sits out Tuesday's action, while Chad Ruhwedel will get a chance to re-enter the lineup.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang picked up two assists in Friday's 3-2 overtime win against Buffalo, logging a power-play helper on an Evan Rodrigues marker and setting up Jeff Carter for the game-winner. He had four shots himself and registered two hits with a plus-one rating in 26:29 of action. Letang now boasts 20 points across 25 games this season with 62 shots, 61 hits and 38 blocks. He's a big force at both ends of the ice, and he's managed to stay healthy this season, which must be very pleasing for fantasy managers.
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang filled the stat sheet a good ways on Monday night versus the Calgary Flames. He fired five shots on goal and had four scoring chances. Furthermore, he set up Jake Guentzel for a power-play goal with less than eight minutes left in regulation Monday. Letang also had three blocked shots on goal, delivered a hit, and had four takeaways. This was all in 26 minutes of ice time. After a weird night against Montreal, Letang was more like his usual self in Calgary. With Letang shooting at just 2.6%, expect more goals to come along with the assists.