Jim Rutherford has no intention of dealing Kris Letang and holds the defenseman in very high regard.



In fact, Rutherford was seething in December when erroneous reports surfaced that suggested Letang was on the trading block. He wasn’t then, and he isn’t now.



However, he’s not in the untouchable category where Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin reside.



Rutherford was candid in analyzing Letang’s performance and future with the Penguins in an interview with The Athletic on Tuesday afternoon.



“Let me put it this way,” Rutherford said of Letang, who has a limited no-trade clause in his contract, which has four years remaining at $7.25 million per year. “He’s not a guy that I’m actively trying to trade from our team. He’s been a great player for a long time and I think he’ll continue to be so. But, I can’t sit here and project an offer that some team could come along and make. I...