Latest news with #KrisLetang
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Penguins draft forward Benjamin Kindel with their first pick in 2025 NHL Draft, trade second pick
The Pittsburgh Penguins have drafted a forward as their first pick of the NHL Draft. The Penguins took Benjamin Kindel as the 11th overall pick. Kindel played for the Calgary Hitmen. He is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds. Benjamin Kindel, second from right, stands with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, right, after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the NHL hockey draft Friday, June 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) He played in 65 games in the 2024-25 season with 35 goals and 64 assists, according to Elite Prospects. Advertisement Kris Letang and his son Alex announced the pick. His son, Alex, hit the 'Trade Alert' button as the Penguins traded their 12th overall pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for the 22nd and 31st overall picks. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Pittsburgh Penguins
The NHL's 2025 off-season is here, and teams are going to be jockeying for trades and free agents in the coming days and weeks. And in this ongoing Buffalo Sabres site series, we've been examining potential trade partners for the Sabres. We began the series with a look at the Utah Mammoth, followed by the Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings. And in this file, we're going to break down the potential trade fit with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Let's get straight to it: Advertisement TEAM: Pittsburgh Penguins CAP SPACE: $22.9 million FREE AGENTS: Matt Nieto, LW; Connor Dewar, C (RFA); Phillip Tomasino, RW (RFA); Vasily Ponomarev, LW (RFA); Matt Grzelcyk, D; Pierre-Oliver Joseph, D (RFA); Conor Timmins, D (RFA) NEEDS: Help on offense, but especially, on defense; depth at left wing; change in goaltending tandem SABRES FIT? The Penguins have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL in the past three seasons, failing to make the playoffs in each year despite a veteran-laden lineup that includes icons Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson. Astonishingly, Pittsburgh has gotten progressively worse each year, going from a 40-win season in 2022-23 to 38 wins in 2023-24 to 34 wins this past season. It's inexcusable for a team with this many experienced hands to come up so short, but that's where the Pens are at today. Advertisement Consequently, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas has a gigantic problem on his hands -- namely, how to balance the needs of the now with the long-term future of the franchise, Dubas is under extreme pressure to steer the Pens into the post-season in 2025-26, but to do that, he'll have to change Pittsburgh's lineup considerably. That starts with goaltending, as longtime starter Tristan Jarry was an absolute disaster last year, posting a 3.12 goals-against average and an .893 save percentage. Jarry was waived by the Penguins last season, but with three years left on his contract at $5.375 million per year, nobody will be taking him off the Pens' hands. Jarry is a key candidate to have his contract bought out, but if that doesn't happen, Dubas could bury him in the American League. Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Los Angeles Kings Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Los Angeles Kings THN's Advertisement Sabres site is continuing a new series in which we examine potential trade partners for Buffalo. We've kicked off the series by looking at teams including the the Utah Mammoth, Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, New York New Jersey Devils. If that's the case, would Pittsburgh be intrigued by Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen? The Finnish netminder's play fell off in a big way last season, with his GAA ballooning from 2.57 in 2023-24 to to 3.20 in 2024-25, and his save percentage falling from .910 to .887. Luukkonen is signed through the 2028-29 campgain at a relatively reasonable average annual salary of $4.75 million -- essentially, in the same range as Jarry's pay slot. And Luukkonen doesn't have any no-trade or no-move protection until 2026-27. What would the Sabres want in return for Luukkonen? Well, let's start by talking about Penguins winger Bryan Rust. The 33-year-old is a proven offense-producer, and last season, he set new career-highs in goals (31) and points (65) in only 71 games. Rust would give a terrific jolt to Buffalo's offense, and Rust doesn't have any no-trade or no-move protection on a contract that pays him $5.125 million to shoot down a deal to the Sabres. That said, if Luukkonen isn't a target for Dubas, there are other options on the Sabres who could be moved in a trade for Rust -- namely, veteran winger Alex Tuch, or young RFA winger J.J. Peterka. Both of those Sabres wingers might benefit from a change in scenery, and getting dealt to the Penguins as they aim for the playoffs once again could turn out to be just what Tuch or Peterka may be looking for. Sabres Potential Trade Partner: New Jersey Devils Sabres Potential Trade Partner: New Jersey Devils The NHL's off-season has arrived, and here Advertisement at the Sabres team website on we're in the midst of a series of columns examining which teams Buffalo could make a notable trade with. Another potential fit for Buffalo is Pens winger Rickard Rakell. The 32-year-old does have a modified no-trade clause allowing him to veto a trade to one of five teams of his choosing, but for all we know, the Sabres may not be one of those five teams. Rakell's salary of $5 million runs for the next three seasons, so Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams could rest assured he had a cost-controlled asset in Rakell for the foreseeable future. Rakell posted career-bests in goals (35) and points (70) last year, and he'd be a welcome addition to a Sabres squad that needs all the firepower it can get. Sabres Potential Trade Partner: New York Rangers Sabres Potential Trade Partner: New York Rangers The NHL's off-season has arrived, and we're turning our attention in this series to potential trade partners for the Sabres. Advertisement As you can see, there are multiple avenues Adams and Dubas can go down to consummate a major trade between Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Both teams are desperate to make the playoffs, but both teams can't afford to run it back with the status quo. The pressure is squarely on Adams and Dubas to get something done in terms of changing their respective rosters, and both teams have pieces that aren't essential to their core. And that means a trade that shakes up the Sabres and Penguins would ultimately be beneficial to each team's competitive bottom line.
New York Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What I'm hearing about Kris Letang's future with Penguins
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. Advertisement • 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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.
New York Times
06-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Penguins coach Dan Muse has the job. Now he has to take control
PITTSBURGH — In August 2017, I stood in Mike Sullivan's backyard about an hour southeast of Boston and asked him a simple question. How did you win the Stanley Cup again? In 2016, the Penguins had the best team. It would have been something if that team didn't win the Cup. By 2017, they were exhausted, and Kris Letang was out for the postseason with an injury. So, how did they do it? Advertisement Sullivan took the cigar out of his mouth. 'Because we had nothing but alpha males,' he responded. 'That's how you win Cups.' I always found his response amusing, and not because he was wrong. Sullivan himself is the ultimate alpha male, and the coaches who have gotten the most out of the Penguins in modern times have had that personality. Michel Therrien largely made the Penguins great. His personality eventually rubbed the Penguins the wrong way, but, though he didn't get his name on the Stanley Cup, he expedited a young core into a championship-caliber team. He was so tough that he publicly called his team soft. Sullivan propelled the Penguins to their greatest heights, turning them into back-to-back champions. He didn't get them to the top of the mountain by being gentle. Dan Bylsma won the Cup, so I'm taking nothing away from him. But he didn't get the most out of the Penguins while Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Letang were in their prime because he was too nice. He ultimately didn't challenge them enough. Mike Johnston? He had the Penguins doing yoga. You know how that went. Enter Dan Muse, largely an unknown in Pittsburgh. I don't know much about his personality. I've not met the man. I've spoken with a few people who know him. The consensus is that he's a kind, good coach. But what kind of backbone does he have? I'm not asking because I'm skeptical. He'll need one. You might say that he doesn't necessarily need to be an alpha male because he was brought in to prioritize young players, not aging stars. It's a fair point. But the Big Three are still here. Erik Karlsson is still here. The Penguins, in the short term, have a real problem. It's easy to say they should tank for Gavin McKenna. But that's a loser's mindset, and, even if you tank for him, you probably won't get him. Plus, if you start drifting toward the bottom of the standings, there's a real chance you'll just become stuck like the Detroit Red Wings, or the San Jose Sharks, or the Chicago Blackhawks, or the Anaheim Ducks over the past five or six years. Advertisement Ideally, the Penguins will continue collecting future assets and develop them quickly over the next couple of years. Crosby will stay great. Malkin will have a successful farewell tour next season. Letang will successfully and happily transition into a lesser role. A coach will finally get through to Karlsson, and those incomparable offensive instincts will finally exceed all of the mistakes he's made with the Penguins. Rutger McGroarty will keep getting better. Ville Koivunen, too. None of these things will happen with a soft coach behind the bench. Crosby loves to be coached. He loves it. He doesn't like being told how great he is, nor does he like having a coach who will bow to him because he's Sidney Crosby. Sullivan used to call Crosby into his office and break down facets of his game that could be better. Crosby relished it. The two used to have healthy arguments about which linemates were best for Crosby. Is Muse going to handle Crosby similarly? He should. No one loves being challenged more than Malkin. During a slump in his second season, Malkin was called into Therrien's office. Therrien pulled out a newspaper, highlighted the league's top scorers, and asked Malkin why he wasn't at the top of the list. Malkin went on a tear. When he goes on one of his infamous drive-by defensive-zone coverages, swooping through the defensive zone without making any hard stops, will Malkin hear about it from Muse? It's a tough call. He's probably retiring after next season. He's a franchise icon. He's one of Crosby's best friends. If you're a new coach and you lose Malkin's trust, you risk losing Crosby, too. Then again, if you don't stand up to Malkin, you won't get the most out of him. It's a delicate line. If you were to give Sullivan truth serum, he'd tell you he loves Letang. I bet he wouldn't tell you he loved coaching him. Advertisement Karlsson? Oh boy. I imagine he's one of hockey's most frustrating players to coach. Coaching young players is said to be Muse's strength, so I'll assume he has a pretty good feel for getting the most out of the Penguins' prospects. Then again, he's never been an NHL head coach while doing so. Every personality is different, but being soft on young players isn't necessarily the way to go. The young guys are what matter, and this hire proves it. But what about the short term? What about this coming season? It's easy to assume the Penguins won't be good, but why settle for that? You don't hire a new coach for the explicit reason of stinking for the next couple of years. There is no competitive spirit in that — no nobility. The Penguins would love to surprise everyone next season while marinating all of those first- and second-round draft picks who are on the way. They don't have to stink forever. They don't have to tank for McKenna. They're allowed to organically get better immediately. There's no law against it. It should be their goal. Maybe it's a long shot, but it's worth trying. They won't get there with a pushover behind the bench. If the Big Three are to go out with anything other than a whimper, they need to play better next season. (Crosby was great, but Malkin and Letang decidedly were not.) The young guys need to exceed expectations. There needs to be a harmonious fusion of excellence between old and young. Muse might well be a wonderful teacher. That's important. But the same things were once said about Johnston. Muse better coach Crosby, not admire him. And he better hold Malkin, Letang and Karlsson accountable. They'll walk all over him if he doesn't. Young players will be watching. Muse will earn everybody's respect by putting the veterans in their place. The ultimate goal here is for the new generation of Penguins coming to the NHL to learn from Crosby — to merge with him and create something special before he skates away from the game. Teaching them how to tank won't do that. They need to come together, absorb a fresh message and be on the same page. That only happens with this collection of players if a no-nonsense coach sets the standard from the start.
Reuters
16-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Penguins D Kris Letang recovering from heart surgery
April 16 - Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is recovering from heart surgery, the team announced Wednesday. Letang, who turns 38 next week, underwent a successful procedure in Pittsburgh on Tuesday to close a small hole in his heart. The Penguins said the expected recovery time for the 19-year NHL veteran is four to six weeks. Letang has suffered two strokes during his career, the first in 2014 and another in 2022. He also had surgery last May to repair a broken finger. Letang recorded 30 points (nine goals, 21 assists) in 74 games this season for the Penguins, who missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight season. A two-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time All-Star, Letang has recorded 772 points (175 goals, 597 assists) in 1,161 games since Pittsburgh drafted him in the third round in 2005. He ranks third in franchise history in games behind longtime teammates Sidney Crosby (1,351) and Evgeni Malkin (1,212).
