PITTSBURGH – A key defenseman departed early in a practice where the Pittsburgh Penguins were already missing multiple skaters. Veteran blueliner Kris Letang left the skate early, and it wasn’t immediately clear why.
Following the workout, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan stated that Letang left the ice thanks to being a bit “nicked up.”
“Kris Letang left practice today, as you saw,” Sullivan said. “He’s just nicked up a little bit. It was more cautionary than anything.”
Erik Karlsson took reps on the top power-play unit in Letang’s absence from the end of practice.
Sullivan’s comments don’t make it abundantly clear when Letang suffered this nagging issue or what it might be that’s bothering him. It will undoubtedly be something to watch as the Penguins suddenly battle the injury bug.
Jansen Harkins and Noel Acciari are both out with concussions, and Evgeni Malkin has been given two maintenance days since returning from the All-Star break.
Letang is having a fantastic season as the Penguins' top defenseman, with an excellent presence on both sides of the puck. In 49 games played this year, Letang has scored four goals and 26 assists for 30 total points.
There has been no slowing down Letang’s game as he takes over a significant role on the penalty kill while still being a constant face on the power play. He has played an average of exactly 25 minutes per night, leading all Penguins’ skaters.
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