Kris Letang injury update: Penguins star out at least five more games

The Pittsburgh Penguins won’t be getting Kris Letang back any time soon as he’ll miss at least the next five games. 

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang’s career has been defined by his greatness and his injuries. He’s overcome a lot to stay in the NHL, as he has battled numerous concussions and even a stroke. After last playing on Feb. 21, the Penguins put Letang on the long-term injured reserve list while offering very little clarity to his injury timetable. The team has provided an update, but it’s still looking grim, as he will miss at least the next five games while the team is on a road trip.

“Our medical staff has a good handle on it,” head coach Mike Sullivan said, via the Post-Gazette. “When he’s ready to play or he’s getting close, and we get him on the ice, we’ll let you guys know. I really don’t want to go down the road of talking details of his injury. We’re hopeful here that he’s making progress.”

NHL teams are typically very discreet about injuries because they don’t want teams to target players. It sounds cruel, but in competition, you attack your opponent’s weakness no matter what it is. Still, Sullivan’s vagueness about the nature of Letang’s injury and the uncertain timetable for his return is quite concerning.

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He’s listed as having an upper-body injury, so another concussion issue can’t be ruled out. An issue due to his stroke could be rearing its ugly head as well. It’s terrible Letang can’t stay on the ice because he’s one of the NHL’s elite defensemen. The Penguins are trying to defend their Stanley Cup, but it looks like they might have to do it without their best defenseman.