What I'm hearing about Kris Letang's future with Penguins

New York Times

10-06-2025

PITTSBURGH — Now comes the hard part for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It wasn't a difficult decision to rebuild or to infuse the roster with youth. Everyone understands what's going on.
Still, the Penguins' franchise icons require a special approach. Kris Letang qualifies, and his situation is even more murky than the rest.
There is plenty of good:
• Letang hasn't just been a fixture on the Penguins' blue line for two decades, he's also overcome so much — two strokes, heart surgery, career-threatening neck surgery, crippling migraines, multiple concussions — that the organization holds a special place for him.
• His work ethic is the stuff of legend, and younger players entering the organization get the privilege of seeing what Letang puts his body through to prepare for every season.
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• Because of that work ethic, it's long been presumed that Letang, who recently turned 38, would stay young longer than most.
Then, there's the bad:
• Letang was terrible in the second half of this past season. He made his customary mental errors, but the problem was that he also suddenly appeared physically human, which we had never seen from him before.
• Letang has three years remaining on a deal that pays him $6.1 million annually. While the NHL salary cap is increasing, this does not appear to be a good value for the next three seasons.
• Letang is generally well-liked by teammates but can be difficult, especially for coaches.
Several team sources, who were granted anonymity to protect personal relationships, said Letang and his play were the source of incredible frustration for head coach Mike Sullivan and assistant coach David Quinn this past season. The mental errors have always been a part of the Letang package. Still, the former Penguins coaching staff became somewhat confounded when the mental errors began to multiply as his physical ability dipped.
Trading him would be the easy solution, right?
Think again.
First off, Letang has a full no-trade clause. It's not entirely clear if Letang would be willing to waive his clause to play for another team. He's never answered this question, commenting something along the lines of 'it's a business' when asked about it. While Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin always emphatically insist they'll never want to leave Pittsburgh, Letang — at least with the media — doesn't like to discuss it. At this point, though, whether he'd waive the clause is secondary.
Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas probably couldn't trade him even if he wanted to.
Team sources said Letang is 'unmovable.'
Given his health, salary and contract length, it's believed that no NHL teams are interested in Letang's services. He's too much of a risk, and his play has deteriorated.
Letang's unique health problems would require teams to pay an enormous amount of insurance on his contract, which they don't seem eager to do. It has long been presumed that Letang might be interested in playing with his hometown Montreal Canadiens or in Southern California, where Letang and his wife own a home.
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But those teams aren't interested.
So, what do the Penguins do with him?
Dubas has made it clear that he's against buying players out, and while the time might come when it's the right decision, I don't think it'll be Letang. It's not so much that Letang is a franchise icon, but rather, I sense that Dubas doesn't find it practical.
The Penguins would prefer for Letang to take on a new role. In other words, they'd like to reduce his minutes, which they believe will make him a better player.
Of course, there are problems with this.
• Letang was not good last season, but which Penguins player is qualified to play more minutes than him? There's no guarantee Harrison Brunicke will be NHL-ready in the 2025-26 season, and you could argue that the current crop of Penguins defensemen is the NHL's worst.
• Erik Karlsson, right? Well, sure, but he wasn't good last season, either, and, unlike Letang, Karlsson could potentially be traded if the Penguins are willing to retain some of his salary. If Karlsson is traded this summer, then what?
• How is Letang going to handle a reduced role? He was graceful when the Penguins traded for Karlsson, agreeing to focus more on penalty killing and defense. He was praised for handling the situation so well. There was a hint of surprise from the team, including Sullivan, at Letang's grace, which is telling.
Stepping aside on the top power play and the top pairing for a future Hall of Famer is one thing. But what if the Penguins tell Letang he's going to play on the third pairing next season? How would he handle such news?
That's a fair question that will need to be answered at some point in the next three seasons. He is a massive locker-room presence. When he's in a bad mood, everyone knows it. When he's in a good mood, everyone is inspired by him.
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Then, there is this: Team sources say Letang doesn't believe he's playing on his final NHL contract. This deal takes him through the 2027-28 season, when he'll turn 41.
Despite his health concerns, Letang wants to play in the NHL beyond that point.
The Penguins hope he plays better next season. They hope that fresh eyes from a new coach will do him some good and that his heart surgery will clear up any lingering issues he's had. They hope he somehow challenges Father Time for the next three seasons, and his apparent erosion of physical talent can be chalked up to his health issues.
Because the truth is, they are stuck with him.