Here’s what I think is happening based on the moves that Ron Hextall has made thus far. 

The Talk

When Ron Hextall was brought on, a discussion was probably had, Hextall most likely wanted to build a team for the future, as is his style. I think that Brian Burke & Mario Lemieux understand this as well, I don’t feel that Lemieux would ever let the Penguins get like the Red Wings. So they all sat down and had a chat,  Brian and Mario probably laid it out like this to Hextall, “try to win us one more with the core of Crosby, Malkin, Letang, if we don’t win a cup this year, then start building us for the future”. 

So with Hextall’s strict budget, he got to work, found similar replacements to the players we lost, almost all of them on one-year contracts, except for Brock McGinn, who he got at a bargain price, especially if he improves, which I think to be likely from watching him play for a while. (I’ve been a fan of McGinn, glad to see him in a Pens jersey.) All while hoping the new acquisitions may perform better with a change of scenery and being on a team like the Penguins, as quite a lot of them have room for growth still.

Letting the Core Walk

This seems to be a do or die, one last big run for the cup with the old crew, before the beginning of the new, the more I look at it, the more it becomes clear. Hextall signing a ton of one-year contracts, no extension for Malkin & Letang offered “as of yet”, the signing of a stud prospect goalie in Filip Lindberg, the talent ready for NHL play this or next season in Zohorna, Poulin, Legare, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, the table is set, a changing of the guard is coming. 

One. Last. Run. Can the boys do it one more time, before the inevitable rebuild?

So, what if we completely tank? There is a strong possibility of that, with our shaky defense, and goaltending, unless a trade is made soon. Let’s come to reality for a second, even if we make a trade for a defenseman, it would have to be somebody special to make any meaningful change, I just can’t see who that could even be, or who would give up someone like that. If a trade is made, it would have to be a goaltender, which is easier said than done. I would think that discussions are still being had with the Ducks for Gibson, calls are probably going back and forth as of right now.

I think that the team potentially tanking is also a part of the plan, we still have our first-round pick, and I know Hextall is drooling at the thought of having a chance at superstar prospect Shane Wright. Why wouldn’t he be? Multiple teams are purposely selling off their teams for a shot at him, Sabres & Coyotes being the two big ones having fire sales. If I’m being honest, from watching Shane Wright play, he reminds me a lot of Crosby himself, imagine getting that as the Penguins. That means we would have had, back-to-back-to-back generational superstar draft picks, I can already see the internet losing their minds saying it’s rigged. 

How does letting Malkin & Letang go help?

I can already hear it, “Malkin and Letang still have a lot of years left”, “you’re crazy, no way they let the core go”, I’m sorry but this is what I’m seeing, I had to be real with myself and take off the rose-tinted glasses. Letting Malkin & Letang walk next season free’s up to $16,750,000, that’s a big sum to pay for two guys who’re 34, yes, I know, they’re still good, but the decline has already started. 

I can really only see Letang doing a team-friendly deal, but Malkin on the other hand? Sorry, don’t see it, especially after the ludicrous $9,500,000 contract Ovechkin just got, my god, that contract will sting when Ovi’s 38+, shame on Ovechkin for accepting that deal if he wants to try and win another cup, if he just wants to ride off with a big payday before he retires, not worrying about another cup then more power to him. Talk about kissing your chances at a cup goodbye as the Capitals, now have $32,250,000 in four guys who will essentially play till age 40 or close too, getting paid the same as when they were in their early thirties and twenties. 

I don’t think the Penguins plan on going this route, I think they understand the problems with that. 

If we look at all the one-year contracts Hextall made this year, and we also have all the players whose contracts are up next year. All these players are up for scrapping next year if they don’t perform.

Players who’s contracts are up in the 2022/2023 season.

• Evgeni Malkin – $9,500,000
• Kris Letang – $7,250,000
• Bryan Rust – $3,500,000
• Kasperi Kapanen – $3,200,000
• Jeff Carter – $2,636,364
• Danton Heinen – $1,100,000
• Evan Rodrigues – $1,000,000
• Sam Lafferty – $750,000
• Chad Ruhwedel – $750,000
• Mark Friedman – $750,000
• Total = $31,661,364

Phew, that is a chunk of change, a lot you can do with that kind of money, things aligned nicely that a lot of the Penguin players contracts are up, it’s a smart move to let most of them walk. Now obviously not all these players will be let go, some will be re-signed, but you get the idea, on top of all that fresh cash you still have a 1st Round Draft Pick, “for now”, and Hextall isn’t in the business of trading first-round picks, which is exactly why I think he was selected to GM.

The Goodbye

So, a possible goodbye to one of the best players to play the game, no not Crosby, our own Evgeni Malkin. As much as I yell at my screen telling Malkin to backcheck, he’s a special player, and I love having him, he’s a superstar. Every moment where I am yelling at him in frustration is a moment where I am yelling in amazement. Watching him go off into the sunset, will hit hard, not going to lie, it’s that realization that the Penguins have aged, they can’t be the superstars that they once were, and we shouldn’t put that pressure on them either. Malkin is really showing his age out there, even though his skill is still there, he’s also injured, and he’s injured a LOT, it’s hard to watch.

I have a soft spot for Letang as well, even though he frustrates the hell out of me, and he plays more like another forward than a defenseman, but there is no denying his talent, he’s had his own share of dazzling moments, and I’ll miss seeing his name in the black & yellow 🙁

Hopefully, they can manage with this team, just one more, one more for the old boys, Crosby, Malkin & Letang, a perfect way to end, the lads celebrating together, hoisting the cup up…….just, one, last, time….they deserve it. No sugar coating It’s going to be hard, as the team as a whole is generally the same as the one that just lost in the first round, if not a slightly worse version, the problems we had are still there, tougher needed defense, better goaltending, no girt. Maybe just maybe though, this group of gents will pull it together, fight with every fiber of their being, and bring the Cup back home.

A Message to Penguins Fans

Yes, the ending of an era, letting Malkin & Letang, and inevitably Crosby go, a lot of penguins fans will hate this article. SACRILEGE! They’ll say, you don’t know what you’re talking about! They’ll never let Malkin and Letang go! You’re just wrong! They’re still great!

Well, I say life’s tough, and sometimes tough decisions have to be made. The number of comments I’ve read on social media from most Penguins fans over the past couple of weeks is just plain embarrassing, it really shows how little the majority of the fans know about hockey, what bothers me the most, are the insults thrown at each other. You have two groups of penguins fans, “the everything we do is wrong group”, no matter the trade, no matter the performance, the motto is “we suck” these fans don’t bother me as much as the second group, which I’ll get into. This group tends to be the casual (not always) viewers, they enjoy a beer with the buds, ranting about their team, going on Twitter and Facebook and rant about how they are not watching, etc. It’s just kind of a “what you do” as a sports fan kind of deal, they share their opinions, laugh, yell at the TV, and have a good time, at least “generally”. Some are a little too serious. 

Then we have the “everything the penguins have done is great and they can do no wrong group”. Ugh, I shudder just saying it, this group can be “Know it alls” a lot of the time. To quote Penguin Poop writer “The Other Rick”, “Stop drinking the Kool-Aid”. We’ve been eliminated in the first round multiple times, it’s not a fluke, and it isn’t better luck next time, wake up. There are some major flaws with the team, it isn’t sunshine and rainbows out there, love me or hate me, (probably mostly hate) but I call it as I see it, sometimes the truth hurts. Every signing, the Kool-Aid drinkers, strike again, straight to social media, saying stuff like “another great depth add” & “great player, he’s going to be a good fit” they’re like robots, they think they know about hockey. I can almost guarantee most of them have never really seen these guys play, they hurry and start tapping away on their keyboards to type up the player’s hockey DB, or watch a couple of YouTube videos on them, then comment like they know what kind of player they are, be real, you don’t. You only watch the Penguins and occasionally another team you like, I know you have a life, it’s hard to watch all that hockey, that’s fine, but don’t start spewing nonsense about players you don’t know, or talking in an echo chamber of people who all think the same.

I write about hockey, and obviously, I watch a lot as well, but I still don’t know a lot about certain players. Taylor Fedun is a great example, guy was completely off my radar, I only slightly recognized the name. I wrote a quick news piece on him, but I didn’t act like I knew much about him, yet the Twitter experts apparently knew, and boy they knew all about him, sharing what a great defenseman he’ll be for WSB, “like any of them have really watched a WSB game”.

You’re on social media insulting fellow Penguins fans because they have a critical opinion of your team, that needs to stop, get off your high horse, as Uncle Joe Biden would say “C’mon man”, discussing is fine, insulting and belittling is not. I am aware there are fans out there that know what they’re talking about, they do watch games outside of the pens, follow news around the NHL, watch prospect players, but these fans knowledge comes across in what they say, these are my favorite fans/commenters, just talking good hockey talk 🙂

In honesty both groups are wrong, sometimes your team does the right thing, sometimes they do the wrong thing, stop being all negative, stop being all positive. View the team and the changes objectively and just enjoy hockey! It’s great if we’re good, and it’s okay if we’re bad, we all love hockey that’s what it’s all about! Take a chill pill and have fun!