Penguins, Letang agree to 6-year, $36.6M contract

Kris Letang isn't going anywhere.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and their stalwart defenseman agreed to a six-year contract with an average annual value of $6.1 million.

Letang would've been the top unrestricted free-agent defenseman had he decided to test the open market. The 35-year-old posted a career-high 68 points last season and finished seventh in Norris Trophy voting.

It was previously reported that Letang was seeking a five-year deal with a cap hit north of $8 million, so it appears he may have taken a lower AAV in order to get extra term. His previous contract carried a cap hit of $7.25 million.

Letang's new contract will keep him in Pittsburgh through his age-40 campaign. The three-time Stanley Cup champion ranks fifth in Penguins history with 650 points, trailing only Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jaromir Jagr.

The Penguins now have $15.3 million in projected cap space. Their priority will now shift to re-signing Malkin, but Rickard Rakell is also a UFA, and Kasperi Kapanen and Danton Heinen are RFAs.