The Penguins have signed Kris Letang to a four year contract extension. Here is the official release…
RDS.ca is speculating that the deal will bring Letang $3.5 per season. However, terms have not been officially released.
PENGUINS SIGN DEFENSEMAN KRIS LETANG TO FOUR-YEAR DEAL
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Kris Letang to a four-year contract extension, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Ray Shero. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The new contract goes into effect at the start of the 2010-11 season and will run through 2013-14. Letang, 22, has played 211 career NHL games in three-plus seasons with Pittsburgh, totaling 79 points on 21 goals and 58 assists.
This season, the 6-foot, 201-pound defenseman has set a new single-season career high with 24 assists while recording 27 points. Letang has seen his role expand with added time on the team’s power play and penalty killing units. He ranks second among the Penguins’ defensemen (and third overall) with an average of 21:30 minutes per game.
Letang was a major contributor to the Penguins’ 2009 Stanley Cup championship. During Pittsburgh’s title run, Letang was the NHL’s third leading scorer among defensemen with 13 points (4G-9A). His shining moment occurred in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Washington. Letang nearly missed the game with an injury, but suited up and scored the overtime winning goal (his first career playoff goal) to help the Penguins avoid a 3-0 series deficit, and inject the team with new life.
The Montreal, Quebec native was originally drafted by the Penguins in the third round (62nd overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Letang saw his first NHL action at just 19 years old when he appeared in seven games and scored two goals for the Penguins during the 2006-07 season.
Letang won back-to-back gold medals with Canada at the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Champions, and was captain of the 2007 team. He was named one of Canada’s top three players on the 2007 squad after tying for second in tournament scoring among defensemen with six points (6A).
With today’s signing, the Penguins now have locked up a strong core of their young players. The Penguins now have mulit-year contracts with Sidney Crosby (through 2012-13), Jordan Staal (2012-13), Evgeni Malkin (2013-14), Brooks Orpik (2013-14) Letang (2013-14) and Marc-Andre Fleury (2014-15).
Waive BYE BYE to Gonch !!
Good Move Ray !!
Sarge is out the I bet. Who rounds out the top 4 next year with Kris, Brooks, and Alex? A UFA?
Leopold !!!
Good job to retain Letang. With this new deal he is going to have to work on getting more shots through. I still would like to retain Gonchar just not at the 5M price tag per year. As for as Goligoski goes I would just trade him at the draft for somebody else’s underachieving winger. Let Leopold (dont know what his contract situation is)and Lovejoy fill the gaps.
Good move… resign Leopold (making $1.75 this year, any guesses on the price of a new deal), resign Lovejoy at next to nothing, hope someone like Brian Strait can contribute and sign a vetern of the scrap heap.
3.5 million. He’s an offensive defenseman and has THREE goals? And can barely hit the net?
This better change or I’m going to hate this deal. WAY too much talent that isn’t being used. No clue how you can miss the net as much as this kid does. It defies logic.
UMMMM NO he is an all around D Man Learn Hockey first OK then Comment
Thanks Evilpens, you’re obviously showing your lack of hockey knowledge with your post.
There’s a reason that Therrien and Bylsma both told Letang that he has to work on his defensive game to no end….becauee he’s an OFFENSIVE defenseman!! That’s what he’s known for!!
Granted he’s rounding out well, but he’s still supposed to be an offensive defenseman that can put up points and goals with his above average hands and shot. I like that his defensive game is coming around, but don’t tell me I don’t know hockey when all this kid was touted for was his offensive skill and skating ability.
Btw, before you start spouting off about me learning hockey, maybe you should learn english and grammar…..just saying.
UMMM NO Genius that got banned fro m lgp.com for his asinine ramblings, MT told him to get better Defensively because MT is a BALLBUSTER & Nothing more
& Bylsma told him to get better Defensively because he was going to be going up against better opponents because of the Loss of Scuderi & Gill Pushed him up the roster to be “shutdown Pairing” with a Guy Like Orpik or Eaton
STFU you Buffoon
Evilpens – can you please grow up and stop the name calling and swearing? Wow.
Letang was drafted as an offensive defenseman! There’s no doubt that any team would ask him to work on his defensive shortcomings, which he’s done well…..but he still lacks an offensive game and can’t contribute when he gets powerplay time.
Are you going to deny the fact that he was drafted as an offensive defenseman that everyone had expectations for?
Actually you probably will, with some name-calling and swearing in there too. LOL
Hilarious.
Yes I will deny it !!
Lots of Guys are Offensive Guys in Juniors, Doesn’t Mean that carries over to the NHL Genius !!
Gogo was an Offensive force in the AHL & really the best Player in the Playoffs that season< Has he been ANYTHING near that player in the NHL yet???
& the AHL is Light Years Better than Juniors
When a player has hands, a shot, and the skating ability that Letang has, there’s no excuse to fade off into a non offensive defenseman. I expect this kid to get better in every area including defense AND offense. Yet his offense is going down the tubes.
Might this be due to the fact that he’s working on his defensive game? Maybe. But it’s still no excuse to CONSISTENTLY miss the net with his shot.
And way to go Evilpens, you made a post without swearing or namecalling! Yay!
No It’s Not, But His problem is he could get away with holding on to the Puck a split second longer in Juniors, In the NHL he isn’t & Won’t get away with that. & he is only 22, soon to be 23 let him grow a bit
You two get a room
please let us resign eaton and leo. they are 2 solid dmen