The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed defenceman Kris Letang on injured reserve, the club announced Monday.
Pittsburgh Penguins Kris Letang Placed on Injured Reserve
The #Pens have recalled Jake Guentzel and Chad Ruhwedel from the @WBSPenguins. Kris Letang has been placed on IR. https://t.co/ArzyLXSF7s pic.twitter.com/5ET6C23VQJ
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) January 16, 2017
Three minutes into Saturday’s 6-3 loss by the Penguins to the Detroit Red Wings, Letang got tied up with Red Wings forward Thomas Vanek and fell down. He appeared to have injured his left knee and headed to the locker room as a result. Although he returned to the game shortly, he left the game for good after one shift.
Kris Letang is a crucial part of the Penguins blue-line, and they surely hope he will return soon. Letang currently has 23 points in 30 games, and he leads the Penguins in ice time, averaging 25:12 a game.
The Penguins will look towards other defenceman to fill the hole left by Letang, such as Trevor Daley and Steve Oleksy.
“He’s our top defenseman, but we’ve done it before,” coach Mike Sullivan told the Penguins website after the game. “He’s been out before. We’ve got capable people. It won’t be any one guy — it’ll be by committee.”
Penguins Recall Jake Guentzel and Chad Ruhwedel
The Penguins also recalled forward Jake Guentzel and defenseman Chad Ruhwedel from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Monday.
Guentzel has been a top forward in the AHL this year, leading the league with 21 goals and ranking second in the point scoring race with 42 points in 33 games. He also has four points in five games for the Pittsburgh Penguins during a brief call up earlier this season.
Ruhwedel has 16 points in 28 games this season for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season. He also has two points in five games for Pittsburgh this season.
The Penguins currently hold a 26-11-5 record on the season and sit third in the Metropolitan division. They will play the Washington Capitals on Monday night.
Main Photo:
PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 12: Pittsburgh Penguins Defenceman Kris Letang (58) skates during the second period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Arizona Coyotes on December 12, 2016, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. The Penguins shutout the Coyotes 7-0. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
