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Latest On Kris Letang

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When it was revealed that legendary Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang suffered a minor stroke, the first thoughts most had weren’t hockey-related. Everyone involved, including the Penguins, emphasized the importance of prioritizing Letang’s health over any hockey-related concerns. Now, just 12 days after his health scare, Letang is firmly back in the mix for a lineup spot in Pittsburgh.

Per Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, as relayed by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Letang returned to practice and is available for tonight’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. It’s a remarkable turn of events for the veteran defenseman and a development that speaks to the strength, resilience, and immense toughness he’s displayed over the course of his NHL career.

Kris Letang Returns To Practice

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Dec 8: Two days later, not only is Letang skating in full equipment but he has returned to practice in a regular jersey. It does not appear as though he will be in the lineup right away, but it is rather incredible that he is able to participate so soon.

Penguins head physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas explained the process they are going through:

His stroke this time was much smaller than it was last time. His symptoms have resolved a lot quicker than they did the last time as well. We know what to expect – the data has also evolved in terms of how this hole (in his heart) is to be treated.

Certainly it is not the sport that created this problem for him… We don’t think that playing the sport itself is risky for him.

He’s always surprised us with how well he heals. We don’t think this is accelerated in any way, we’re taking all the right precautions to make sure he is safe to go out and play. And when that time comes, we’ll let him go back to playing his sport.

Letang is now listed as day-to-day.

Dec 6: One of the most incredible moments of last week’s press conference discussing Kris Letang’s latest stroke was when Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall explained the veteran defenseman asked to skate immediately after being cleared from the hospital. He was on the ice the three days after for a “little twirl,” and has continued to ramp things up since.

This morning, he was on the ice in full equipment with assistant coach Ty Hennes ahead of the team’s morning skate, taking shots and working hard. While the team has been very clear that they will not rush Letang back, it does appear as though he is on the road to recovery.

In 2014, when he suffered his first stroke, it took Letang more than two months to return to the lineup. Hextall explained to reporters like Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week that this time was “much less severe.”

The team is doing well in his absence but now faces a tricky roster situation. Unless they move Letang to long-term injured reserve, which would guarantee he is held out for at least 10 games and 24 days, they don’t have the cap space to make recalls. The team is dealing with several illnesses and had emergency backup goaltender Mike Chiasson on the ice at morning skate.

Playing a game shorthanded would give them the opportunity to bring someone up at no cap hit, but this weekend will be a test either way. The team plays a back-to-back against the Buffalo Sabres starting on Friday night.

Sam Poulin To Take Leave Of Absence

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that prospect Sam Poulin is taking a leave of absence from the organization due to personal reasons, returning home in the meantime. General manager Ron Hextall released the following:

The Penguins support Sam’s decision to take time away from hockey to focus on himself. As with all of our players, our priority is them as individuals first. We look forward to having him back with the team when he is ready.

Poulin, 21, was the 21st overall selection in 2019 and made his NHL debut this season with the Penguins. In three games, he recorded one assist. His production in the minor leagues has been limited, with just four goals and zero assists in 13 games for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. This is just his second season of professional hockey after starring for the Sherbrooke Phoenix and Val d’Or Foreurs in the QMJHL.

The Penguins have not explained the reasoning behind the leave, and are not expected to do so. It is not clear when he will be able to return to hockey. While the organization supports his decision, it does leave the club with one fewer depth piece to call upon should injuries occur. Hopefully, Poulin will be able to get back on the ice and continue his career as soon as possible.

Kris Letang Out Indefinitely Following Stroke

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have released some frightening news, announcing that Kris Letang will be out indefinitely after suffering a stroke on Monday. It is the second time this has happened to the star defenseman, following a similar incident in 2014. Letang has released a statement:

I am fortunate to know my body well enough to recognize when something isn’t right. While it is difficult to navigate this issue publicly, I am hopeful it can raise awareness. It is important for me that my teammates, family and the fans know that I am okay. I am optimistic that I will be back on the ice soon.

When the first stroke occurred, a small hole in the wall of Letang’s heart was found. He missed two months and returned to the ice, playing more than 500 games between then and this latest incident. He is not experiencing any lasting effects but will continue to be monitored.

General manager Ron Hextall also released a statement:

Kris reported symptoms to the training staff on Monday and was immediately taken to the hospital for testing. The test results were shocking to hear, but we are grateful that Kris is doing well. We are thankful to the medical staff and the physicians at UMPC. He is a warrior on the ice, but first and foremost, he is a son, father, husband and friend. His health is our number one priority.

Letang, 35, was averaging nearly 24 minutes a night through 21 games this season, racking up 12 points. He signed a new six-year, $36.6MM contract in the offseason. Hopefully, just as he did in the past, he will be able to return to the ice at some point this season. There is no timetable for that at the moment, however, as the team and player focus on his health. Hextall explained to the media that this stroke was not as severe as the one he suffered in 2014 and that Letang was even able meet with and speak directly to his teammates last night about what had happened.

Evening Notes: Stars, Letang, Samsonov

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The Dallas Stars are off to a strong start under new head coach Pete DeBoer, and they’re looking to get stronger. Per TSN’s Darren Dreger on tonight’s edition of Insider Trading, the Stars are still looking to add a top-six forward, preferably to play with Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment.

They’ve had a rotating cast playing on the wing with those two, and although Seguin and Marchment have played well, they’d obviously like some added depth and to get a player that boasts chemistry with them. Jamie Benn is having a resurgence in limited minutes, scoring 26 points in 23 games, and they’d prefer to keep his ice time down below 15-16 minutes. If nothing comes to fruition, the strong performances of youngsters Ty Dellandrea and Wyatt Johnston should still safeguard their depth scoring.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has been in and out of the lineup recently, and he’s missing another contest tonight. Letang is absent from their game against the Carolina Hurricanes with an undisclosed illness, the team announced before puck drop. It’s his second missed game of the season after missing a game earlier this month, also with an illness. He revealed weeks ago that he had been battling an illness for a stretch of games; whether or not this is a related illness is unclear.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov says he’s pain-free after his knee injury and is “ready to play,” according to TSN’s Mark Masters. Head coach Sheldon Keefe pumped the brakes on his status, however, saying the team would check on him tomorrow to determine his return to play. The young netminder, who had a strong start to the season, has missed nearly a month.

Pittsburgh Penguins Promote Ty Hennes

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have made a slight change to their coaching staff, promoting Ty Hennes to the role of assistant coach after serving for the last few years as a skating and skills coach. General manager Ron Hextall explained:

Promoting Ty to an assistant coach was one of our top priorities heading into the season, as he is widely regarded as one of the best skills coaches in the NHL. Ty brings a unique skill set to our coaching staff and has gradually taken on more responsibility over the years as his role has evolved. He has been a big part of our team and will continue to be so moving forward.

Hennes, 43, had already been behind the bench with the rest of the coaching staff for the last few seasons, and works with players on specific skills and injury rehab between games. The 5’9″ former Boston College forward has even released some of his expertise on YouTube through the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, hosting a series of instructional videos for young hockey players.

In 2020, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profiled Hennes, and quoted several then-Penguins players. Jared McCann, for instance, raved about their work together, saying that “he knows the game so well” and calling him “one of the best” skill coaches he’s ever seen.

Now, he joins Mike Vellucci as an assistant under head coach Mike Sullivan and associate coach Todd Reirden to form quite an experienced staff. Hennes will likely remain focused on the skills work that he’s been involved in for the last several years, though a promotion does suggest a further increase of responsibility in the future.

Pittsburgh Penguins Activate Teddy Blueger

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that forward Teddy Blueger has been activated off of injured reserve. In a corresponding move, forward Filip Hallander was re-assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.

This move puts Blueger in line to make his season debut. He’s missed all of the Penguins’ games this season after suffering an upper-body injury in the preseason. Last year, Blueger scored a healthy nine goals and 28 points in 65 games while also contributing as the team’s most heavily-utilized penalty-killing forward.

In Blueger’s absence, the Penguins have run offseason trade acquisition Ryan Poehling as the team’s fourth-line center. With Blueger now healthy, Poehling’s time in Blueger’s spot in the lineup may have come to an end.

The 23-year-old Poehling hasn’t been outright bad this year, but his three points in 15 games are definitely lower than the production the Penguins could expect out of Blueger. Poehling has also functioned in Blueger’s role as the Penguins’ top penalty-killing center so far this year, but with the team’s penalty kill ranked ninth-worst in the NHL with a 75.5% kill rate, it’s likely that Blueger resumes his role there as well.

The Penguins haven’t looked like a contender so far this season and currently sit second-to-last in the Metropolitan Division. While the team’s issues may run deeper than just not having their ideal fourth-line center, getting Blueger back from injury is certainly a positive development.

As for Hallander, the 22-year-old prospect forward has gotten off to a scorching hot start with AHL Wilkes-Barre Scranton. He has nine points in 10 games so far this year and should remain near the top of the team’s depth chart in terms of priority forward call-ups.

Pittsburgh Penguins Re-Assign Mark Friedman To AHL

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The Pittsburgh Penguins announced this afternoon that they have re-assigned defnemsen Mark Friedman to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. No corresponding transaction was announced. The move leaves Pittsburgh with 22 out of a possible 23 men on its roster.

Friedman, 26, has spent the bulk of his time this season at the AHL level, recalled to Pittsburgh for the first time on Friday prior to today’s re-assignment. The defenseman has played 10 games this season, all with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, where he’s tallied two points, both assists, as well as a +2 rating. Friedman spent all of 2021-22 in the Penguins organization, suiting up for 26 games in the NHL, recording five points. The team signed Friedman to a two-year, one-way contract extension back in March of this year.

The veteran joined the Pittsburgh organization back in February of 2021 via waiver claim after the Philadelphia Flyers, who drafted him, chose to waive him. Interestingly, Friedman has spent his entire professional career in the state of Pennsylvania; prior to the claim, Friedman played parts of five seasons in the Flyers organization, primarily with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, their AHL affiliate, as well as 11 games with Philadelphia spread over three seasons.

Should The Penguins Consider Waiving Kasperi Kapanen?

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Kasperi Kapanen’s second stint with the Penguins has been bumpy, to put it lightly.  He impressed in 2020-21 with 30 points in 40 games and it looked like he had finally become a consistent top-six winger.  However, his per-game production slipped last year to the point where there were questions about whether or not he’d be tendered last summer by Pittsburgh.  He ultimately was, inking a two-year, $6.4MM contract but has slid down the depth chart to the point where he has recently been a healthy scratch.

Accordingly, Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Hockey Now argues that the time has come for the Penguins to part ways with the 26-year-old.  Playing a limited role (or not playing at all) isn’t going to help his trade value so he suggests that waiving him is the next best course of action (assuming there isn’t a viable trade out there).  If he clears, he’d get an opportunity to play a bigger role and perhaps rediscover his scoring touch while giving Pittsburgh a bit of cap flexibility ($1.125MM of his AAV would come off).  At this point, with the alternatives being having him struggle or in the press box, it’s an option that GM Ron Hextall might be considering.

Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Mark Friedman

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After dealing with some defensive injuries earlier this week, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Mark Friedman from the AHL for tonight’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. To make room, they’ve sent Samuel Poulin back to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

It’s good timing for Friedman, who will likely be playing in front of some friends and family should he enter the lineup tonight. The Toronto native suited up 26 times for the Penguins last season but has been limited to AHL action so far this year. In ten games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he has two points.

The fact that it is Friedman coming up and not Ty Smith is interesting, especially given how well John Marino is playing with the New Jersey Devils. The Penguins traded Marino for Smith and a third-round pick this offseason as they worked to revamp their defense, a move that certainly seems like a mistake in hindsight. Marino is playing nearly 22 minutes a night on one of the hottest teams in the league while Smith is getting passed over for call-ups in the minor leagues.

The trade is certainly more complicated than that, as there are salaries and other considerations involved, but given the Penguins’ current place in the standings – seventh in the Metropolitan, 10 points behind the Devils – there will be some pretty frustrated fans if things don’t turn around soon.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Jan Rutta both left Wednesday’s game but were present at today’s morning skate in Toronto. Friedman’s recall suggests that at least one won’t be able to play tonight, though that has not been confirmed.

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