There had been some concern growing among Pittsburgh Penguins fans that the team may not be able to retain Kris Letang, who was set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. Well, those worries can be pushed to the wayside after the Penguins announced a new six-year contract for the fan-favorite defenseman. Letang figures to make $36.6 million over the course of his new six-year deal, which will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2027-28 season.
The contract carries an average annual value of $6.1 million, which is an excellent price for a player of his quality. It's a move that will have not only Penguins fans fired up, but captain Sidney Crosby too, who has long been angling for both Letang and Evgeni Malkin to get new deals in the offseason.
Now that the Letang deal is done, the Penguins will look to see if they can reach an agreement with Malkin, though it will certainly be difficult.
Letang has spent his 16-year career in Pittsburgh, having debuted for the franchise when he was just 19, all the way back in 2006. He's played a total of 941 games for the Penguins, scoring 144 goals and assisting 506 for a total of 650 points. He's been one of the most storied players in franchise history, winning three Stanley Cups with the Penguins, in 2009, 2016, and 2017.
Last year in Pittsburgh, Letang featured in 78 games, registering 65 points and skating an average of more than 25 minutes per night. Despite being 35, the Penguins feel that Letang has enough left in the tank to hang him a contract that will run into his 40s.
With Letang locked up for the long haul, Ron Hextall will be hard at work trying to cap off a Malkin deal ahead of free agency.
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