The Pittsburgh Penguins organizational history has a plethora of great players, and we decided to go through the Penguins’ best players to wear each jersey number. Today we continue the list by naming the best No. 58 pick in Penguins history.
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We’re not going to waste time on this. One player has worn #58, and even if there were more, he would have earned this distinction.
The best and only No. 58 in franchise history is Kris Letang.
Kris Letang was drafted by the Penguins in the third round of the 2005 NHL Draft – the same draft as teammate Sidney Crosby – and has spent each of his 19 seasons in Pittsburgh.
In that time, the offensive-oriented defenseman has racked up several milestones and franchise records. He is the Penguins’ all-time leader among defensemen in points (745), games played (1,097), power play points (275), overtime goals (11) and game-winning goals (34).
Additionally, he is the franchise leader in playoff points among defensemen with 90, including 23 goals. One of his most monumental was the Stanley Cup-winning goal in Game 6 of the 2016 Finals against the San Jose Sharks.
He also scored a big goal en route to the Penguins’ 2009 Stanley Cup win, which came in the form of a second-round overtime game winner during Game 3 against the Washington Capitals:
Throughout his career, Letang has been known for his smooth skating, his ability to dodge and evade players under pressure, and his excellent one-on-one defensive skills. He was also a key piece for the Penguins in their shootout lineup because of his soft hands, trickery and good backhand shot.
But perhaps above all, his perseverance was something to marvel at. Letang has suffered two strokes during his NHL career, as well as a neck injury, with his second stroke occurring in November 2022. He also lost his father a month later and spent most of January away from the team to repair both of his hands. to nurse. mental health and an ankle injury.
He ultimately won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for the 2022-2023 season.
In his 19th NHL season, the 37-year-old Letang currently has two goals and three points in 10 games. He, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the longest-standing trio in major professional sports to play together on the same team.
He signed a six-year contract extension in the summer of 2022 to hopefully play the rest of his NHL career in Pittsburgh.
