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Pens select Pickering with 21st pick in draft
From Mirror, wire reports
The Pittsburgh Penguins, who won Stanley Cups back to back in 2016 and '17, re-signed veteran defenseman Kris Letang to a $36.6 million, six-year contract that carries a $6.1 million annual salary cap hit on Thursday.
Pittsburgh may not be able to keep the entire band together, given center Evgeni Malkin is also set to be an unrestricted free agent, but general manager Ron Hextall prioritized locking up the 36-year-old Letang long term.
"The role he plays on our team is irreplaceable, he is a leader in our locker room and has made countless contributions to the organization over the last 15-plus years," Hextall said in a statement.
Letang, 35, will earn a shade over $6 million each year in a $36.6 million agreement that will take him into his 40s.
Letang maximized his worth this past season, turning in one of the strongest of his 16 years with the team. He wound up with 10 goals and a career-high 68 points, while turning in some impressive performances in big minutes. He accumulated enough Norris Trophy consideration to finish seventh in the voting.
With Letang in the fold, Hextall was able to focus on the team's first Round 1 selection in three years, which it used at No. 21 on defenseman Owen Pickering Thursday night at the 2022 NHL draft held at the Montreal Bell Centre.
At 6-foot-4, 179 pounds, Pickering had nine goals and 24 assists in 62 games with Swift Current out of the Western Hockey League last season.
"We really like Owen," Hextall said. "He's a young kid, but a mature kid. He's got really good puck skills."
He is the earliest draft pick by the Penguins since they took Sam Poulin 21st in the 2019 draft.
According to NHL's Central Scouting Bureau, Pickering was ranked as the 21st-best prospect among North American skaters.