Penguins are a much weaker team without Kris Letang

[shane1342o]

We all know that Kris Letang is an important piece on the Pens backend, but the numbers here help to show just how much trouble Pittsburgh is without him on the blue line for the playoffs.

http://alongtheboards.com/2015/04/analytics-penguins-are-a-much-weaker-team-without-kris-letang/

Click to read more...

 

[WVP]

Breaking news....

 

[mpp9]

Pretty hilarious Sutter and Spaling are about the same with or without him.

 

[Asuna]

Pretty hilarious Sutter and Spaling are about the same with or without him.

They're so steady

 

[radapex]

Pretty hilarious Sutter and Spaling are about the same with or without him.

They're so steady

Not all that surprising. They're used in more defensive roles. I'd expect top 6 forwards to suffer a greater impact to Corsi as they're the ones typically generating offense.

 

[Sidney BrOSSby*]

He's the one defenseman you DON'T want to disappear.

 

[Human]

but I thought he only puts all those points up because he's playing with Malkin and Crosby...

 

[Scuz39]

Honestly I thought losing Matta hurt us nearly as much.

You could see how much losing him hurt the team (just look at the before and after records.)

I know it is not popular to like the team at all right now but I am very excited for next year if we can pick up a little in the offseason and actually have a healthy defense again. Add Letang+Matta+Erhoff to any other playoff team and they instantly become cup favorites...

 

[Til the End of Time]

perhaps the team should not build their defense around such an injury prone player.

 

[canadianguy77]

perhaps the team should not build their defense around such an injury prone player.

Perhaps players like Kris don't grow on trees and thus, aren't easily replaceable.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

A team not as good without their number 1 defenseman who also creates a lot of offense? What a shocker.

I was told by somebody that Letang is not as good as Scuderi and that Robbie superstar is the backbone of the team.

 

[ColePens]

You have to work on your titles man. That title gets the response: "No ****..." even if the writing and the work done on the inside is brilliant.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

You have to work on your titles man. That title gets the response: "No ****..." even if the writing and the work done on the inside is brilliant.

First thing I thought too. Even if the article ends up being brilliant, the title already will generate some scorn for "Thanks, Captain Obvious"-ness of it.

Follow up article: "The Pens can't score as many goals when Crosby and Malkin are both injured".

 

[Honour Over Glory]

My life is in ruins...I didn't think without our best puck moving defenseman and a guy that should have been a Norris finalist, we'd be weaker.

I need a drink, stat.

Good article though, bruv.

 

[Shady Machine]

Honestly I thought losing Matta hurt us nearly as much.

You could see how much losing him hurt the team (just look at the before and after records.)

I know it is not popular to like the team at all right now but I am very excited for next year if we can pick up a little in the offseason and actually have a healthy defense again. Add Letang+Matta+Erhoff to any other playoff team and they instantly become cup favorites...

The problem is Letang is now injury prone. Maatta hopefully will have his health concerns behind him. Letang is obviously very important to this team, too important which is the problem, but if you can't rely on him to stay healthy, then does it matter how good he is?

 

[gordie]

Honestly I thought losing Matta hurt us nearly as much.

You could see how much losing him hurt the team (just look at the before and after records.)

I know it is not popular to like the team at all right now but I am very excited for next year if we can pick up a little in the offseason and actually have a healthy defense again. Add Letang+Matta+Erhoff to any other playoff team and they instantly become cup favorites...

Losing Maatta hurt more because he's a better defenseman and more reliable with the puck on his stick not to make a horrible turnover like the always-injured overpaid Letang.

 

[Scuz39]

Letang is worth the injury risk and he is far from overpaid.

 

[Shady Machine]

Letang is worth the injury risk and he is far from overpaid.

I never said he was overpaid. As for if he is worth the injury risk, that depends on what type of decisions they would have or will make if he is not on the roster.

I don't want to trade him and I think there are much easier solutions (cut the fat, draft kids and actually play them, be aggressive on college and euro league FA's, etc), I am just playing devil's advocate.

 

[gordie]

Letang is worth the injury risk and he is far from overpaid.

51 games played in 2011-2012
35 games played in 2012-2013
37 games played in 2013-2014
Misses entire Postseason 2014-2015

Can't afford to pay a guy $7.2 who just isn't going to be there.

 

[plaidchuck]

So what do they owe if he retires early?

 

[Jaded-Fan]

If the Pens could only score even one more goal than their opponents each game I bet that they could have a better record.

 

[Asuna]

If the Pens could only score even one more goal than their opponents each game I bet that they could have a better record.

 

[Bennett Brauer]

51 games played in 2011-2012
35 games played in 2012-2013
37 games played in 2013-2014
Misses entire Postseason 2014-2015

Can't afford to pay a guy $7.2 who just isn't going to be there.

2011-12: 57 out of 88 games played (Including playoffs)
2012-13: 50 out of 63 games played (Including playoffs)

Contract extension

2013-14: 50 out of 95 games played (Including playoffs)

Stoke was a freak thing, not his fault

2014-15: 69 out of 82 games played (Regular Season only)

He took a violent hit into the boards, you would be hard pressed to find any player take that hit and be okay from it.

Kris Letang isn't as "injury prone" as some people suggest, I also hate the term injury prone, every NHL player is injury prone, it's ****ing hockey.

 

[JQR]

2011-12: 57 out of 88 games played (Including playoffs)
2012-13: 50 out of 63 games played (Including playoffs)

Contract extension

2013-14: 50 out of 95 games played (Including playoffs)

Stoke was a freak thing, not his fault

2014-15: 69 out of 82 games played (Regular Season only)

He took a violent hit into the boards, you would be hard pressed to find any player take that hit and be okay from it.

Kris Letang isn't as "injury prone" as some people suggest, I also hate the term injury prone, every NHL player is injury prone, it's ****ing hockey.

Yes, he is "injury prone." It's not like this is the first time he's taken a bad hit into the boards. In the past he would get insanely reckless to the point that he was a danger to himself. That may have changed in recent history, but you can't take away all those other injuries. Head injuries compile, it's never ever going to get better. Some days may be better than others, but this is a guy that has had severe migraines for years.. He will never play a full season, and will be lucky to ever complete 75% of a season, and I think even that's a stretch.

 

[Til the End of Time]

so injuries only count towards a player being injury prone if it's "their fault?" interesting theory, one that goes against the emerging body of scientific literature that says certain people are simply more prone to injuries due to particular genes that encode things like different types of collagens and brain cells.

bottom line some people are genetically prone to injuries. letang is one of them.