Penguins Offseason: It Just Keeps Getting Better…

If you sensed the sarcasm dripping from my title, count yourself as perceptive. Indeed, our offseason keeps getting better and better (not).

In the wake of the second day of free-agent signings, I continue to scratch my head and wonder what in the wide, wide world of sports Pens GM Ron Hextall is thinking. Danton Heinen? Michael Chaput?

C’mon.

I mean, did he even watch the playoffs? Did he take note of the type of teams that went deep into the postseason? Skilled, yes, but with a physical edge. I’m not talkin’ Brock McGinn physical. I’m talkin’ PHYSICAL.

What the hell happened to all that long pants hockey and “we want sandpaper” talk? Speaking of, has anyone seen or heard from Brian Burke? Or has he been fitted with a permanent muzzle?

Okay, Buker…breathe. Relax. Goosfraba…

In a calmer moment, I do get what Hextall’s trying to do. And it isn’t that I’m unsympathetic to his plight. He’s operating under severe salary cap constraints and his hands are tied to an extent. You might say he…and the team…are paying for the sins of his predecessor.

What’s a GM to do?

Trade Marcus Pettersson and get his $4 million cap hit off the books? Great in theory. Except the very reason we’re trying to unload him also makes him unattractive to other teams.

Dump Jason Zucker and his $5.5 million salary? See above.

Back to Hextall. Thus far, he’s tried to replace the players we’ve lost this summer…Jared McCann, Brandon Tanev and Frederick Gaudreau (the jury’s still out on Cody Ceci’s successor)…with cheaper knockoffs.

He’s succeeded…at least the cheaper part. The three prominent players he’s signed…McGinn, Heinen and (ugh) Dominik Simon…somewhat resemble the guys they’re replacing, right down to the tale of the tape. And we’ve saved a collective $3 million and change over what we’d be paying the departed players. Hardly a king’s ransom. But enough to maybe squeeze an extra player or two in under the cap.

From that standpoint, Hextall’s doing a decent job. Whether he’s actually improved the team and taken it in the right direction? That’s another matter entirely.

Take Heinen, his latest addition. Twenty-six, can play center or left wing and slot up and down the lineup. Good defensively and a strong possession player. Decent size at 6’1” and 188 pounds although not very physical (more on that later). Solid offensively early in his career with Boston (16 goals and 47 points as a rookie in 2017-18) although he’s tailed off the past couple of seasons in Anaheim. Probably not his fault due to the dumpster fire that was and is the Ducks.

By all accounts a good hockey player and maybe even a bargain at $1.1 million. However, it’s the “not very physical” part that’s got me concerned. Unless Hextall has another move his sleeve…and he’s rapidly running out of cap space with which to do it…I don’t see us being better or faster or harder to play against than last season’s version.

While he did sign a very promising goaltending prospect in Filip Lindberg, he hasn’t addressed the team’s netminding at the big-league level and isn’t likely to given the picked over state of the goalie market. Unless a deal for Pittsburgh native and current Duck John Gibson is simmering somewhere on a back burner, it looks like a rerun of the Tristan Jarry/Casey DeSmith show.

On defense, I agree with frequent commenter and kindred spirit Mike. It wouldn’t surprise me if Hextall tries to slide last season’s waiver pickup Mark Friedman into Ceci’s slot, eschewing a larger, more physical option like ex-Pen Erik Gudbranson.

Yes, I know it’s early. Way too early to close the books on the offseason. But at this stage, it’s looking more and more like another season of “Sully hockey.” Another season of chasing the ghost of our 2016 Cup winners…and falling way short.

Therein lies the root of my frustration. I hoped things would be different under Hextall and Burke…that Mike Sullivan wouldn’t drive personnel decisions (Simon) to the extent he has in the past. I believed them when they said they wanted to add size and sandpaper and make us better able to compete in the playoffs.

While there’s always hope they’ll add those elements? Right now I feel cheated. Like they’ve reneged on a promise.