Kris Letang Injury: Penguins D Out Multiple Weeks Due to Lower-Body Injury

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will be out for at least the next two weeks after suffering a lower-body injury. 

Per Michelle Crechiolo of the Penguins' official website, head coach Mike Sullivan announced Letang's injury and said his star would miss "a couple of weeks."

On Saturday, the Penguins announced they placed Letang on injured reserve. 

It's not clear when Letang suffered the injury. He played more than 26 minutes in Wednesday's game against the Boston Bruins, notably hitting David Pastrnak with an elbow to the head that led to him being called for a two-minute interference penalty. 

Later in the game, Bruins winger David Backes delivered a huge hit to Letang that knocked the 29-year-old off his feet, into the boards and down to the ice. 

Letang is one of the most valuable players on the Penguins roster. He ranks third on the team with 17 assists and fourth with 19 points as a defenseman. 

The Penguins are no strangers to adjusting when a star player is hurt. Sidney Crosby has had injury woes in the past, missing the first six games this season with a concussion. 

Despite some of those issues, the Penguins lead the NHL with 43 points. 

Olli Maatta figures to get an expanded role on the ice with Letang on the shelf for at least the next two weeks. The 22-year-old has appeared in all 30 games this season, recording two points. 

The Penguins are still loaded with talent, especially on offense with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, so they will be fine in the short term without Letang. Still, his presence takes them from being a good team to being a Stanley Cup favorite.