While the Pittsburgh Penguins were battling for a playoff spot, one of their stars was battling several ailments.

PITTSBURGH – Over the last few weeks of the 2023-24 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins put top defenseman Kris Letang on a maintenance program. Letang was healthy enough to play in every game of the season, but he was sparingly seen at practices or morning skates.

It was never revealed if Letang was dealing with an injury or if the Penguins were monitoring his durability as he continued to play well past 20 minutes per game.

During locker cleanout day, Letang revealed he had been dealing with something but didn’t specify what it was.

“I was going through some stuff,” Letang said. “It was more logical to take those days.”

Letang battled through his ailment and played a full 82-game season for the first time since 2010-11. He’s had mostly healthy seasons before, but then and now this year are the only two times he’s gone bell-to-bell.

Over his 18-year career, Letang has notoriously been the most well-conditioned player on the Penguins but has his own list of injuries and health problems.

“My body feels fine,” Letang said. “The lungs are still there; the legs are still there."

Head coach Mike Sullivan stated that Letang was dealing with numerous injuries in the final weeks of the season.

"Tanger was dealing with a myriad of injuries for a long time," Sullivan said. "He's a warrior. There's no other way to put it. Some of the things he was playing with." 

When Letang spoke with the media, he had not yet met with the Penguins training staff, so he was unsure if he would need any sort of offseason surgery.

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