Penguins' Letang: 'My only goal is to play 82 games'

While some players might set offensive goals for the upcoming season, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang just wants to remain healthy.

"My only goal is to play 82 games," Letang told Penguins.com's Sam Kasan. "That's my main goal. I just want to help the team all year long and not just part of it."

Letang has been plagued with injuries throughout his career, only reaching the 82-game mark once during his eight-year career.

The 28-year-old missed 13 games last season, including the final seven games of the regular season and all five of the team's playoffs games, due to a concussion. He also suffered a stroke during the 2013-14 season that kept him out of the lineup for 26 games.

Going forward, Letang says he feels very good, being back on his regular offseason program, but understands he will need to start managing the way he plays if he wants to make his season goal a reality.

"Managing my ice a little bit more is going to be important," he said. "I cannot be all out like I do all the time. But I don't want to change my game. I want to be the same guy that is aggressive, that will finish checks and be a guy that's tough to play against."

Despite missing those 13 games, Letang had his most productive season, matching a career-high with 11 goals and setting a career-high with 54 points.