Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Josh Yohe reports Kris Letang contract blocks Pittsburgh Penguins trade options
Photo credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Josh Yohe says Kris Letang is basically untradeable, and that hits the Pittsburgh Penguins right in the cap picture.
Letang is 38, a right-shot defender, a 2005 third-round pick by Pittsburgh, and he is signed through 2027-28 at a $6.1 million cap hit.
His deal still carries full no-move protection for 2025-26, so Kyle Dubas cannot just force an exit even if he wants a reset.
That is the real punch in Yohe's quote. The contract is not just expensive, it limits every clean deadline-style pivot.
Letang has 27 points in 58 games, and his minutes are down from his peak, even if he still moves pucks and can run a second wave.
At five-on-five, the fit question is simple. He still helps breakouts, but he no longer erases mistakes often enough to make contenders ignore the age and term.
"You aren't going to trade [Letang] because nobody wants him or that contract. Dubas would trade him in a heartbeat if he could, I have very little doubt."
- Josh Yohe
- Josh Yohe
Pittsburgh is still in the fight at 32-17-14, with a road game in Vegas on Thursday, so this is not only about summer theory.
Kris Letang leaves Pittsburgh with no easy outs
A lot of Pens fans will read Yohe's line and nod, because it sounds harsh but also feels like the roster math everyone can see.
If Letang stays, Dubas has to build around the money already committed, not fantasy space that is never arriving.
That means cheaper legs on the blue line, cleaner support around Erik Karlsson, and fewer bets on veterans who need shelter.
The next-game angle matters too. Against speed teams like Vegas, Pittsburgh needs quicker exits and tighter gap control more than nostalgia.
None of this wipes out Letang's legacy. It just means legacy and roster construction are now pulling in different directions.
Yohe did not reveal a surprise. He said the quiet part out loud, and now the deadline noise that occurred feels a lot more honest.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Canadian hockey player Jordan Murray collapses during ICEHL playoff game, doctors perform 10 minutes of CPR
Canadian hockey player Jordan Murray collapses during ICEHL playoff game, doctors perform 10 minutes of CPR
Previously on HockeyUnplugged
| POLL | ||
MARS 11|137 ANSWERS Josh Yohe reports Kris Letang contract blocks Pittsburgh Penguins trade options Should Kyle Dubas keep Kris Letang through next season? | ||
| Yes | 78 | 56.9 % |
| No | 59 | 43.1 % |
| List of polls | ||