Penguins Move Kris Letang to Long-Term Injured Reserve
The Pittsburgh Penguins moved Kris Letang to long-term injured reserve on Friday, the Penguins’ official website reports.
Kris Letang has been placed on long-term injured reserve retroactive to December 28, and Jan Rutta has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to January 14.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 20, 2023
There is no reason to panic about this move. The Penguins made a few roster moves Friday and needed the roster spot. A player being placed on LTIR needs to miss at least 10 games. The Penguins backdated this move to Dec. 28 which means with the game Friday night, Letang will have missed 10 games and thus can return to the lineup whenever he and the team believe he is ready.
Letang is dealing with a lower-body injury and the death of his father. When healthy, Letang is still one of the better defenders in the league. His return will shore up a defensive unit that, even with Letang, is no better than average.
The Penguins are currently +2200 to bring the Stanley Cup back to Pittsburgh. You can find these odds, along with the odds for every NHL team to win the cup, on the FanDuel Sportsbook.
