Veteran Penguins defenseman is reinventing himself after Erik Karlsson's injury

When Karlsson hit injured reserve Tuesday with a lower-body injury, it yanked 33 points in 44 games, and 23:45 a night, out of Pittsburgh's lineup.

Letang didn't replace him, he reorganized the whole thing by playing simpler and harder.

At 38, drafted 62nd overall in 2005, Letang is still producing, 24 points in 46 games, while keeping his average ice time near 22 minutes.

That's not vintage Letang, that's a veteran finding a new gear.

The minutes aren't the story, the choices are.

Since Karlsson's injury, Letang has filled in on the top power-play unit and settled beside Brett Kulak, leaning on quick first passes and tighter gaps instead of risky adventures.

You can see the confidence, he's choosing safer pinches and living for the next retrieval instead of the highlight.

As a fan, it's refreshing watching Letang win shifts with calm, not chaos.

The change shows on special teams, too, because he's picking his spots on the man advantage while staying locked in defensively at even strength.

It's less about «doing everything» and more about doing the right thing first.

He's also taken the workload like it's 2016 again.

Since Karlsson went on IR, Letang has already played 25:13 in a game, which tells you exactly how much the staff is leaning on him.

This is why the stretch matters for Dan Muse, because if Letang can hold the fort, the Penguins can ease Karlsson back the right way.

The next milestone is simple, keep banking points until Karlsson is reevaluated, and keep Letang's quieter game intact.

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