This 6'0" 201 lb defenseman is one of my favorite Penguins. He shoots right and was born on 4/24/87 in Montreal Quebec. Tanger was drafted in the third round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, 62 overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played his junior hockey in the QMJHL for Vald'Or Foveurs. Letang made the QMJHL All Rookie Team in 2005, and was also a CHL All-Star in that same year. He also was a first team All-Star in the Q in 2006 and again in 2007. Tanger won three awards in the Q that season. They were the Emile Bouchard Trophy as the Best Defenseman, Paul Dumont Trophy as Best Personality, and the Kevin Lowe Trophy as Best Defensive Defenseman.
Letang made his NHL debut in the 2006-07 season, scoring his first goal in his third NHL game against the New York Islanders and Rick Depietro. After netting 2 goals in seven games, Tanger was sent back to the QMJHL, where he participated in the playoffs for Val d'Or, then appeared in the final series of that seasons playoffs for the WBS Pens after Vald'Or was eliminated. It is important to note that in addition to the awards that Letang won in the QMJHL, he also won Gold in both 2006 and 2007 as a member of Team Canada in the World Junior Championships, and was a World Junior All-Star in 2007.
Letang started the 2007-08 season in Wilkes Barre, but was recalled early that season. Letang recorded 17 points in 63 games, making him 6th among rookie defensemen, and participated in the 08 Young Stars game during the NHL All Star break. Letang got his first playoff experience as the Pens went all the way to the finals before losing to the Red Wings in six games.
In 2008-09, Letang's role expanded with the Penguins and he netted 10 goals and 33 points, leading all Penguins defensemen in the process, He got his expanded role as a result of an injury to Sergei Gonchar, and took full advantage of it. Letang played in his second NHL Young Stars game, but the best was yet to come. Tanger scored his first NHL playoff goal on 5/6/09 in OT in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals against the Washington Capitals. It will go down as one of the Penguins biggest goals in history, as it prevented the Caps from taking a 3-0 lead in the series. Given the fact that a 3-0 lead would have been almost insurmountable, and that the Pens ulitmately won the Stanley Cup, it was a HUGE goal! Letang was a vital part of the Stanley Cup run, and was ready to take on an even larger role as a member of the teams top defensive pairing and one of the quarterbacks of the power play. As a result on 3/30/10 Kris Letang signed a contract extension that will keep him a Penguin through 2013-14 at 3.5M per year.
It is hard to believe given his awards and NHL experience that Tanger is still only 23 years old. He has 235 NHL regular season games under his belt, recording 24 goals and 72 assists and a -1 during his career. Add to that 52 additional playoff games, with 9 goals and 13 assists and a +1 rating to his resume. Letang had a slow regular season in terms of goal scoring last season, only netting 3, but he earned the confidence of managment with a 5 goal performance in just 13 playoff games. Letang had also contributed 4 goals in 23 games during the Cup run, so he shows up in the big games.
All of this set the stage what for what so far has been a break out season for Letang. In 18 games this year, Letang has 3 goals, 14 assists, 17 points and is a +9! He leads all NHL defensmen in scoring! Letang will still make an occasional mental mistake, but his unbelievable skating, physical presence, and scoring touch make him one of the most valuable players on the team. Tanger has almost a point per game production, huge for a defensman, and is part of a shutdown pairing most nights with Brooks Orpik. On 10/21/10, Letang again won a game with an overtime goal against Nashville. The most exciting part of this for me is that fact that Letang is skating and shooting with confidence. At only 23, Letang despite an already impressive resume is only going to get better. As his decision making process catches up with his physical skills, Tanger figures to be a defenseman who could be in the discussion for the Norris Trophy for years to come. Letang, another value at 3.5M per year!
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