So much for having Kris Letang back for the playoffs. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that the star defenseman will undergo neck surgery and be out for four to six months. Letang has been diagnosed with a herniated disc in his neck, and will not only miss the entire playoffs but likely all of training camp and perhaps the beginning of the 2017-18 regular season. Next year he’ll be entering the fourth year of his eight-year, $58MM deal at age 30 and coming off a major injury; it’s a tough blow for the Penguins this year and next.
Letang has long been the Penguins most important defender, driving play and racking up points. Receiving Norris Trophy votes in five of the last six seasons, he’s widely regarded as one of the best defensemen in the league and plays over 25 minutes a night for the team. Now that he is gone, the acquisitions of Ron Hainsey and Mark Streit look even better on Jim Rutherford, though neither come close to replacing the impact Letang has.
In good news for the Penguins, the team saw Olli Maatta back at practice today and now will need him more than ever to be ready to start Game 1 of the playoffs. With Trevor Daley also returning soon, the team will have to use all six of their defenders even more to fill in and hope someone steps up to replace Letang’s leadership and production. Justin Schultz, who has stepped up in Letang’s absence previously this season, will be under a spotlight this postseason to produce offensively while logging more ice time than he’s ever played before.
Love Letang but he often tries to do to much. Hopefully some of these guys coming back can just play their game and not try to do to
much