The immensely delicate dilemma of Kris Letang's health and his future

The news that dropped this morning about Kris Letang is equally as surprising as it is predictable. Unfortunately for the Penguins d-man, health problems beyond the game of hockey have plagued Tanger his whole career.

The PFO condition is not inherently a health risk, but it does lead to the possibility of strokes happening in the future.

Kris Letang has already had suffered two strokes, one as recently as 2023, so this procedure seems to be precautionary and preventative in nature. The condition had no bearing on his physical health this season.

However, Letang's injury record paired with his chronic heart condition has made for a very tumultuous career.

True warrior is an understatement, and I think people tend to forget how much Tanger gives to be on the ice any given night.

Letang's Production Drop

Penguins fans have begun to lose their flavor with Kris Letang due to his production taking a nosedive and his defense being unplayable on most nights. He'll finish the 2024-25 season with a -15 rating, the worst of his career.

Additionally, his nine goals are the least he's had in a full season since 2017-18, and his 21 assists are the least he's had in a healthy season since 2007-08. It might be the beginning of the end for Kris Letang, and that might be a polarizing truth for Penguins fans.

On one side of the coin, there are Penguins fans that want Kris Letang to either retire or be traded to Montreal so he can join his hometown team for his retirement tour.

On the other side, some Penguins fans want the likes of Letang, Crosby, and Malkin to all retire at the same time and walk off into the sunset as the greatest sports trio in North American sports history.

Three-headed monsters have a name: Ghidorah, from Japanese lore. Two-headed monsters in Greek mythology are known as the Orthrus, much less intimidating and infinitely less memorable.

Personally, I don't know which side of the coin I fall on. I've voiced my opinion on the Penguins' next playoff push happening without Kris Letang, but at the same time I understand the value of a legacy.

What to do with Tanger

So, one has to ask, can the current version of Kris Letang be a part of the next playoff push?

Buyout

Well, he'll be 38 next season and have a no movement clause attached to his $6.1M cap hit. A buyout is not out of the question, especially if the Penguins cite Letang's health as a factor.

If the Penguins were to buy out Letang's contract this offseason, they would save about $3.4M this upcoming season, $2.4M in each of the next two seasons, then be bound to a $1.3M cap hit for the three seasons after his original contract would have expired.

The legacy factor of Kris Letang, however, makes a buyout this offseason impossible. There is no way the Penguins organization will let Kris Letang go out on a random Sunday 4-1 loss to Boston with no fanfare.

Letang deserves his recognition for an outstanding career, and I think we can all agree on that regardless of his production drop in recent years. So what's the next option?

Trade

Again, Letang's no movement clause is still in effect, and his modified no trade clause doesn't kick in until the 2026-27 season. There are 10 teams on the list that Letang would be willing to be traded to in that time.

Montreal is most definitely one of those teams. It's where he grew up, it's the place of his heart, and a finale to a great career would be fitting there.

The problem is that the Canadiens are a playoff caliber team, and they certainly wouldn't take the full brunt of Letang's contract if they were approached with a trade proposal.

Going further, I'm of the idea that changing teams is a hinderance to one's legacy (Biz, take notes), and I'm not sure Letang would want to go to Montreal even when presented the opportunity.

This scenario is still at least a year away if it were to happen, so the Penguins would have to shoulder Letang for at least another year, which brings us to our final scenario.

Tanger Stays

This is the most likely, yet most uninspiring possibility. Is Letang going to improve? Likely not. What you see right now is what you're going to get.

He did have a better year last year after a down year in 2022-23, but I don't foresee him taking another leap forward, especially with how abysmal his defense is at times. When your calling card is offensive production, you have little to lean on when that starts to go away.

Can the Penguins manage to re-tool this offseason and make a quick playoff turnaround while Letang is still on the team?

I'm still going to say no, as much as it pains me.

I will say I'm encouraged by Ryan Shea and Conor Timmins being much more true on defense, and I think a full season of both of them is a step in the right direction for the Penguins' team defense.

Letang has to be playable defensively. He can still move the puck, he still makes good plays occasionally, but the mistakes have proven too costly this season.

Whenever you have a great player start to decline, it makes it hard for everyone. You want to remember the good times while also being realistic. Kris Letang needs a soft landing to an incredible career, and right now, I'm not sure how the Penguins are going to land this plane.

No matter what, though, we want Kris Letang to be healthy on and off the ice, especially after retirement. We wish him the best in his recovery from this heart condition and hope that it gives him a sense of stability as he works his way back to the ice next season.