Penguins defenseman Kris Letang underwent successful surgery to close a small hole in his heart called a patent foramen ovale, the team announced. He’ll miss the team’s final regular-season game but is expected back for training camp in the fall. The recovery time for the procedure is four to six weeks.
It’s a scary headline for a player who’s had a few of them in his lengthy career, so such a brief recovery window immediately comes across as good news. The two-time All-Star had strokes that caused him to miss significant portions of the 2013-14 and 2022-23 seasons, as well as a herniated disk in his neck that kept him from suiting up in the Penguins’ run to the Stanley Cup in 2017. While PFOs are usually innocuous and occur in about 25% of people, it does lead to an increased risk of stroke, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Letang, who turns 38 later this month, continued to be a workhorse in his 19th NHL season. His 17:53 of ice time in his final appearance of the campaign against the Bruins on Sunday was a season-low and the first time he’d logged under 20 minutes in a game since Jan. 8, 2024.
As the 2023 Masterton Trophy winner crosses into the second half of the six-year, $36.6MM extension he signed in 2022, his offensive production has begun to decline significantly. He posted 9-21–30 in 74 games this year for a 0.41 points per game rate, his worst since the 2009-10 campaign. The drop-off in point totals this season was accompanied by the worst possession metrics of his career, including a 48.6 CF% at even strength that was 3.1% worse relative to his teammates. His 47.4% expected goals share at even strength was also his worst since the stat was tracked in 2008.
Yet with few impact options on this summer’s free agent market and the future of Erik Karlsson in Pittsburgh in question, Letang will likely again open training camp in the fall as the Pens’ unquestioned No. 1 defender, at least in terms of deployment. Letang has averaged over 21 minutes per game for the last 17 seasons.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Scary stuff. Get well soon!
Wow. I’m glad it was found. Guy keeps dealing with serious health issues.
Here’s wishing #58 a speedy recovery!
Man oh man, Kris Letang has had heart health issues which is unusual at his age. I’m surprised doctors have let him continue with his career at this stage. Hope for a speedy recovery though.
Just out of curiosity, no political agenda or anything like that. So is this medical expense paid for by the team or is it out of his pocket?
Probably the team. You got to figure that the CBA ensures that the players have pretty good health plans.
Prayers for him and his family for speedy and healthy recovery
(sighs) C’mon, Kris, you’ve got nothing left to prove. You’ve three Cup rings, you’ve put up a borderline Hall of Fame career. You’ve also had MULTIPLE strokes, an injury-riddled career, and your team is going nowhere. Please just retire, so we don’t have to be reading stories ten years down the road of you eating through a tube.
He has had some serious health troubles and keeps chugging along. Hopefully he is ok.
At some point, Letang needs to consider if continuing to play is worth it. It says that PFO’s come with an increased risk of stroke. Letang has already had two strokes and now this. He has a had an incredible career & has won Stanley Cups. Your life is more important that hockey