The Pittsburgh Penguins are facing a tough stretch on the blue line, as both of their cornerstone defensemen are sidelined. With Erik Karlsson already out due to injury, the team announced that Kris Letang is now considered day-to-day with an upper-body issue. Letang missed Tuesday’s practice and is questionable for Wednesday’s matchup against the Calgary Flames.
The timing of Letang’s injury is a bit of a mystery. He logged over 22 minutes of ice time and posted a plus-three rating in Monday’s win over the Seattle Kraken-hardly the kind of performance that screams “something’s wrong.” But now, as the Penguins continue their road trip through the Pacific Northwest, they’ll have to navigate at least the short term without the two defensemen who’ve anchored their blue line all season.
Letang, even at 38, has been nothing short of vital for Pittsburgh. Since Karlsson went down, Letang has stepped up in a big way, averaging more than 24 minutes a night over the last four games.
In that span, he’s chipped in three assists, bringing his season total to 25 points in 48 games. That kind of production, paired with his heavy workload, speaks volumes about his value-not just as a leader, but as an engine for the Penguins' transition game and power play.
Replacing Letang isn’t just difficult-it’s practically impossible. The Penguins’ defensive depth has been a concern for a few seasons now, and this situation only magnifies that issue. But someone has to step up, and right now, it looks like Ryan Shea will be the next man up.
Shea saw over 20 minutes of ice time on Monday, marking the 15th time this season he’s crossed that threshold. He’s a left-shot defenseman who’s been playing the right side, and in Letang’s absence, he could be elevated to top-pair duties alongside Brett Kulak. That’s a big ask, but Shea has quietly put together a solid campaign-his plus-14 rating leads all Penguins defensemen.
Jack St. Ivany, who’s spent recent games watching from the press box, is expected to rejoin the lineup.
The right-shot defenseman has appeared in 14 games this season, notching three assists and a plus-three rating-good for third among Pittsburgh blueliners behind Shea and Letang. He’ll be asked to provide stability and smart play in a bottom-pair role, but with the current state of the lineup, every shift matters.
The Penguins also have Ilya Solovyov available on the active roster. While he hasn’t factored prominently into the rotation yet, his presence gives the team at least one more option as they try to patch together a defense corps that’s suddenly missing its two biggest names.
With three games left on this road trip before a return home to face the Blackhawks on January 29th, the Penguins are entering a critical stretch. Every point counts in the playoff race, and how they weather this defensive storm could go a long way in determining where they stand when the dust settles.