Letang, who suffered a lower-body injury late in Saturday’s game, might not be available tonight. The Penguins recalled Brian Dumoulin this morning which suggests Letang won’t be available, but monitor his status during the morning skate to be sure.
As expected, Letang should be back in tonight after missing five games with a groin injury. He should be activated in all formats.
Letang has missed the last five games with a groin injury, but is expected to be back tonight according to coach Johnston. Letang has registered 18 points (4G / 14A) in 22 games this season and is a premiere fantasy option on the back-end.
Letang has missed the last five games with a groin injury that he suffered in late October. Letang took part in a full practice on Thursday and said that he just needs to be cleared by the Penguins medical department.
Letang was on the ice for the Penguins’ morning skate on Monday, but did not take part in line rushes and was not very involved in drills. It looks like Letang will miss a fifth straight game, but being on the ice for the morning skate, is a good sign that he should be back this week.
Letang will miss his fourth consecutive game with a groin injury this afternoon. However, the fact that he skated this morning suggests that he could join the Penguins for practice next week, which is the next step in returning to the lineup.
Letang’s “minor lower-body injury” is not looking so minor anymore. Coach Johnston said that it will be about two weeks, so we will consider him out for 10-14 days. Christian Ehrhoff and Olli Maatta get a bump in fantasy value with the extended power-play time they will see.
The Penguins originally called Letang’ injury a minor lower-body ailment, but a groin injury is a little more serious than minor, just for the fact they are so difficult to manage. There is no word on when the Penguins expect to get Letang back in the lineup.
The move is likely retroactive to November 28th, which means that Letang will miss Thursday’s game vs. the Canucks as well, because he is not eligible to be activated until Friday. The Penguins called it a “minor lower-body injury” so he could be back on Saturday vs. the Senators.
Letang will miss his second straight game with what the Penguins called a “minor lower-body” injury. With Letang sidelined, Robert Bortuzzo will stay in the lineup. Letang is considered day-to-day.
Letang missed Saturday’s game with what the Penguins called a “minor lower-body injury”. While the word minor would suggest he won’t miss a lot of time, however his absence this morning suggests he could miss tomorrow’s game vs. New Jersey.
There is no word on if Letang suffered and injury. He could have been injured in warmups. Robert Bortuzzo will be in the lineup.
It was been a tough season for Letang. He dealt with a knee injury to start the season, an elbow infection in December and January and then of course his stroke in February. Now Letang's latest injuries to his foot and hand, I'm sure he will be happy to relax his banged up body over the offseason.
The Pens will continue to keep Neal and Letang relegated to the second powerplay unit.
Letang has not played since January 27th after suffering a stroke in early February. He has been skating with the team since the middle of March, but will finally return tonight after a 10-week absence. He has 18 points (10G / 8A) in 34 games this season, but it is tough to expect him to tear it up in the remaining three games. However, this is a huge boost for the Penguins for the playoffs.
Letang has been out since he suffered a stroke in late January. The Penguins will not will not rush Letang back considering the gravity of his condition, but it sounds like he will be back before the end of the regular season.
This is fantastic news for the Penguins. Earlier in the week there were reports that they don't expect him to be back this season, now he is cleared for full practice. Being cleared for full practice and being cleared to skate is a big difference. Expect Letang to be a full participant this week and if all goes well he could be back soon.
The crucial thing to keep in mind regarding Letang is there remains no time frame for his return. Also, the information on this end is that the Penguins are not expecting him to play again until next season. Letang was in good spirits on Tuesday night while conversing with teammates after the Penguins’ win over Washington. He said he has put on some weight in the past couple of weeks – a good sign given the muscle mass he had dropped during a month of nothing but rest after his stroke.
Letang will be on blood-thinners for another three weeks, is restricted to light exercise, and is counting on medical evidence that those who suffer strokes at such a young age can resume professional sports careers. Doctors have told Letang there is no reason he cannot resume his hockey career, but they cannot tell him when. “I’m targeting it day-by-day,” he said. “I’m trying to improve every day I come [to the rink]. I try to exercise the best I can. I see doctors pretty much every week, twice a week to get better. So we’ll go from there.”
The condition is treatable with blood thinners and at this point is not believed to be career threatening. Further testing also revealed that Letang, 26, has had a very small hole in the wall of his heart since birth. This small defect in the wall is present in all individuals before birth but seals shut in most people. It is possible that the hole in the heart led to the stroke. “The most important thing right now, of course, is Kris’ health,” GM Ray Shero said. “We’re not thinking about hockey right now. We want to make sure he gets the best possible care and gets better. After six weeks of treatment, doctors will re-evaluate Kris.”
