With a number of his fellow locked-out NHLers booking flights home from Europe, Kris Letang has decided to go the other way.
The Penguins defenseman has agreed to join Russian team SKA Saint Petersburg for the remainder of the lockout, according to multiple sources.
Letang was already in Russia prior to news of his signing, as reported by Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "[Letang] is awaiting current NHL talks/fallout,” he tweeted. “Wants to pounce on KHL opportunity if it comes to that.”
The 25-year-old rearguard has emerged as one of the best offense defensemen in hockey over the last two seasons, racking up 92 points in 133 games while being named to consecutive All-Star teams.
That’ll play well on a SKA team featuring a number of equally gifted offensive players: Ilya Kovalchuk, Vladimir Tarasenko, Maxim Afinogenov and Petr Prucha, to name a few.
