Star defenseman Kris Letang is inching toward making his in-game return for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Per Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins’ website, Letang rejoined Pittsburgh on Tuesday after he stepped away from the team following the death of his father. The 35-year-old hasn’t played since Dec. 28 and was dealing with a lower-body injury at the time he took his leave of absence, and head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed he considers Letang day-to-day.
Letang will remain inactive when the 22-15-6 Penguins play at the 19-21-3 Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night. His status for Friday’s home game versus the Senators is unknown.
It’s been a uniquely challenging season for Letang, as he suffered the second stroke of his life in late November but returned to the lineup less than two full weeks after that medical event. Claude Fouquet, Letang’s father, then died after the Penguins arrived in Boston on New Year’s Eve for the Winter Classic.
Pittsburgh defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-1 on Jan. 8 and flew overnight from Phoenix to Montreal to attend the funeral. The Penguins then rallied from behind to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on Jan. 10.
“We all know how much his dad loved (the Penguins), and stuff like that,” defenseman Marcus Pettersson said about the team supporting Letang at the funeral for his father. “Kris texted us and said it means a lot for his entire family. I think it meant a lot for us, too, to show him that we support him and we care.”
The Penguins began Tuesday holding the conference’s second wild-card playoff berth. Both Pittsburgh and the New York Islanders had 50 points at that time, but the Pens also had two games in hand.
As much as the Penguins could use a healthy Letang as soon as possible, Sullivan must properly manage the veteran to ensure he doesn’t skate in a competitive setting until he’s emotionally and physically ready.
