Mar 26, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defensemen
Kris Letang(58) skates with puck as Carolina Hurricanes forward
Nathan Gerbe(14) chases during the second period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Penguins – Kris Letang
While many fans will be looking at the additions of Phil Kessel, Nick Bonino and Eric Fehr for the offensive power that the Penguins so desperately need, Kris Letang will have to be a Norris Trophy candidate if the Pens want to get back to the big dance with Lord Stanley.
Kris Letang is arguably a top-five defenseman in the NHL when healthy. The keyword in that statement is “healthy”, as he has not been able to play a full 82-game season since 2010-11. Last season, he was on pace to be a Norris Trophy candidate before he was ruled out for the rest of the season due to concussion symptoms. When out of the lineup, the team is not the same. Letang provides so much more than his speed. He contributes incredible puck moving abilities, puck possession numbers and a top power-play guy.
With the departures of Paul Martin and Christian Ehrhoff, Kris Letang will be given a very heavy workload on and off the ice this coming season. Letang will likely be paired with 21-year old Olli Maata, who is also coming off a season ending injury. Through social media, Kris has expressed his dedication to get in better shape and be even better than he was last season. If that’s the case, watch out for the Penguins.
Next: Travis Zajac