Report: Kris Letang, Penguins progressing toward deal worth 'around $7-$8 million per year'
The Pittsburgh Penguins and defenseman Kris Letang are reportedly close to agreeing on a new contract.
According to the editor-in-chief of The Fourth Period, Dave Pagnotta, Letang and the Penguins have made progress on a new deal over the last 24 hours. A guest on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh on Friday, Pagnotta added that the contract would pay Letang around $7-8 million yearly.
NHL free agency opens on July 13, leaving the Penguins little time to negotiate with the 35-year-old before he hits the open market.
Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports that Letang is seeking a five-year deal worth "something north of $8 million per year annually, perhaps as high as $9 million."
According to Yohe, the Penguins have offered Letang a three-year contract.
Letang has played his entire 16-year NHL career with the Penguins, who drafted him in the third round (No. 62) of the 2005 NHL Draft.
Among the all-time leaders in Penguins' franchise history, Letang ranks third in games played (941), fifth in assists (506) and fifth in points (650).
Last season, Letang played 78 games, finishing with 68 points (10 goals, 58 assists).
A six-time All-Star, Letang has won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2009 and 2016.
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