PITTSBURGH (93.7 the Fan) If there is one Penguins player who knows a thing or two – or maybe ten – about comebacks it's Kris Letang. Since entering the NHL in 2006, the Pens top defenseman has endured almost every hockey injury imaginable – and then some. From feet to knees to groins to elbows to shoulders to neck (herniated disc) to head (several concussions), you name it, Letang's had it.
"Obviously I've been through everything that can go wrong," Letang wryly smiled after he joined his teammates on the ice in Cranberry for the first time since being released from Covid protocol. But Letang's health issues also include a stroke nearly eight years ago. How would Covid-19 affect someone with that kind of history?
"It was a concern." Letang admitted, "(I) was a little bit nervous but when I saw the end of the symptoms and all the tests I had to go through it was good so I was pretty relieved. For sure, the first four days when you're feeling not that good and you're laying in bed the just thinking about the worst, it kind of creeps into your mind but it went away quick."
Even though Letang – like all of his teammates - is vaccinated, it hit him hard. "Pretty much all the symptoms," he explained. "Congestion, headaches, pressure in the forehead, coughing, loss of taste and smell, body aches, a lot of pain in the lower back and stuff like that. Lasted, I would say, between four and five days."
Letang - who is more than a workout warrior, he's a fanatic – said it was tough being cooped up. "The first four days you can't really do anything because you're so tired and you have all the symptoms," he continued. "The last five days I wish I could have exercised but per protocol I had to wait and get all my screening done. As soon as I stepped on the ice I would feel it in the lungs. The fact that I coughed a lot probably didn't help either but I felt like (Tuesday) I cleared up all the bad stuff inside me and (Wednesday) I felt really good. I wouldn't say I'm where I want to be but I'm pretty sure I'm going to get there pretty quick."
Whether "pretty quick" means he will return against the Flyers Thursday is still TBA. "I felt pretty good today," Letang, said. "I skated after the guys on Monday and skated on my own Tuesday for an hour and a half. I had pretty high intensity so today was another step in the right direction and I felt pretty good so tomorrow morning I'll skate and see how it goes."
Coach Mike Sullivan was his usual non-committal self but also upbeat. "I thought he had a good practice today," Sully said. "We'll visit with the medical team and Chris and see how he responds then make a decision tomorrow to see whether he plays (Thursday)."
With Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel already in the protocol (but "improving" per Sullivan) – and Brian Dumoulin and Sidney Crosby added Wednesday - the coach could certainly use Letang against Philly. Meanwhile, Letang can only shake his head over the effect that the virus is having on his team.
"We're a pretty safe group to be honest," Letang noted. "Sometimes you see a guy who's really careful and he ends up getting it and you have no idea how he's getting it. It's crazy. But at the same time it's the reality we're living in and we have to deal with it."
