Letang Not Nostalgic About Big Three; ‘We Try To Live In The Moment’

While Evgeni Malkin was holding what could be his final annual training camp interview session with local reporters Friday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, PHN took the opportunity to speak one-on-one with another of the team's longtime core players.

Defenseman Kris Letang , the Penguins' other alternate captain along with Malkin , and team captain Sidney Crosby have at least the 2026-27 season to play together again, their North American pro sports record 21 st season as a trio with the same team.

Letang, while appreciating another season together, isn't feeling nostalgic or emotional about it. He isn't pondering whether this will be the end of their ride together after so many seasons and three Stanley Cups.

"We don't read that stuff. We don't worry about that stuff," Letang said. "If they want to talk about it every year, they can, but to us we try to live in the moment. We don't look too far ahead."

Letang and Crosby are 39, Malkin 40. After the Penguins lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the playoffs last spring, only Letang and Crosby were under contract for this season. Malkin later signed a one-year extension for $5.5 million.

"Obviously, last season he had a great season. He deserved to get another shot and another contract based on his performance," Letang said. "I'm glad that he's doing it with us."

Before it was settled that Malkin would be playing for the Penguins again, he created some shock waves when he said that if things didn't work out with his original team, he would consider playing this season with another NHL team.

"I mean, if he still has the desire to play hockey and the Penguins were not going to sign him, I don't see why (he would) not (consider playing elsewhere) if you want to keep playing hockey," Letang said.

"It would be weird to see him in a different uniform, but sometimes if it's your fate, there's nothing you can do. If the team goes in a different direction, you're not in charge of those decisions so you can turn around and do what you have to do.

"It worked out, but he put (up) a pretty good season and I didn't see why the Penguins would not want him back."

Letang, who had three goals, 34 points in 74 games last season, is signed for this and one more season. He said he has not altered his approach to training camp after all these years.

"It's always pretty intense," he said. "Guys are excited. Guys are pretty anxious also. It's pretty fun. I just kind of prepare the same way I always did. I try to train hard so I get ready every season."

Famous for his intense offseason training, Letang does try a few new things from time to time.

He thrilled some local players when he showed up a couple times to skate in a 3V3 Elite League at local rink Ice Castle.

"It was cool," Letang said. "I kind of use it as a conditioning (opportunity). It's three-on-three, full ice, so it's a lot of skating."

He also was featured in a video doing backward, uphill lunges while holding a 90-pound weight in each hand. He shrugged when asked about that.

@nhl "you look like you have a six-pack on your quads" 👀 (🎥: IG/benbrunotraining & IG/jonchaimberg) #NHL #hockey #sports #workout #KrisLetang ♬ Workout – TheTrapLabb

"you look like you have a six-pack on your quads" 👀 (🎥: IG/benbrunotraining & IG/jonchaimberg) #NHL #hockey #sports #workout #KrisLetang

"You try different things sometimes with different trainers," he said.

Now it's back to the real thing, two days into a shortened, intense training camp.

Letang has been paired with newcomer Trevor van Riemsdyk , who, like Letang, is a right-handed shot. The Penguins have an imbalance of righties and lefties, so van Riemsdyk is skating on his off side, something he said he is comfortable with.

There have been a couple times earlier in his career that Letang was asked to switch over to the left side, with less than stellar results. He also has been paired occasionally with a right-handed shot defense partner playing on his off side (We remember ye, Ben Lovejoy ).

"He doesn't ask who's going to play left. He just goes there," Letang said. "You feel like it's already natural for him."