Kris Letang
Kris Letang was playing in the QMJHL with the Val-d’Or Foreurs when he was drafted 62nd overall in the third round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Montreal, Quebec native played three seasons with the Foreurs, where he won the Emile “Butch” Bouchard Trophy for the league’s best defenseman, the Paul Dumont Trophy for best personality and the Kevin Lowe Trophy for the best defensive defenseman. He was also named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team, CHL All-Rookie Team and the QMJHL First All-Star Team. He signed a three-year entry level contract with Pittsburgh in October 2006 and made his NHL debut on October 5th against the Philadelphia Flyers. He recorded his first goal two games later on the 12th against the New York Rangers, and along with goals from Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal, that marked the first time that three teenagers all scored in one game since Dave Andreychuk, Paul Cyr and Phil Housley did it with the Buffalo Sabres on October 17, 1983. He began the 2007-08 season with Pittsburgh’s AHL team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and was quickly called up to the NHL after producing 7 points in 10 games in the minors. He finished the season leading all NHL defenseman with five shootout goals. He played in the YoungStars game and helped his team to the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in six games. He played in 74 games the following season, where he led all Pittsburgh defensemen with 33 points and was again invited to play in the YoungStars game, but this time on the Sophomores team. He earned himself his first Stanley Cup ring after the Penguins beat the Red Wings in seven games. In international hockey, he helped Canada win gold at the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships and silver at the 2005 World Under-18 Championships. Letang is an all-around player, who is a smart playmaker and is good on the power play. However, he needs to avoid making mistakes in the defensive zone if he wants to succeed as a top four defenseman.
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