Penguins Hextall Doing a Fine Job

I’ve posted articles in the past similar to the one I’m about to write. But in the wake of another skillfully executed trade deadline where he once again boosted his team’s fortunes without paying an exorbitant price, I thought I’d take time out to sing Ron Hextall’s praises again.

It’s impossible to emphasize what a mess Hextall inherited from former GM Jim Rutherford when he was hired in February 2021. The team was jammed up against the wall, cap-wise. JR had tied up roughly 16 percent of our cap space long-term to three young defensemen of varying pedigree. No fewer than seven players who appeared in at least eight games for the team were slated to become UFAs or RFAs at season’s end, including Zach Aston-Reese, Teddy Blueger, Evan Rodrigues, Chad Ruhwedel and Radim Zohorna.

Yet Hextall was still able to add Jeff Carter at last season’s trade deadline for the relatively low price of a third- and fourth-round pick while convincing the Kings to hold back salary. Carter proved to be a revelation, tallying 13 goals in 20 regular-season and playoff games combined. Hextall also snagged feisty depth defenseman Mark Friedman off waivers from the Flyers.

That’s not to say there haven’t been speed bumps. Finances forced Hextall’s hand over the summer. Fearing Seattle would select Jared McCann if left unprotected in the expansion draft, Hextall dealt the former number one pick to Toronto for prospect Filip Hallander rather than lose him for nothing. McCann’s blossomed with the Kraken (23 goals). Energy-player extraordinaire Brandon Tanev was a serious loss as well.

Unable to compete for top free agents, GMRH signed several mid-level skaters at bargain rates, including Brock McGinn, Danton Heinen and Rodrigues. They’ve combined for 41 goals. Not too shabby.

The fact that a team most (including yours truly) thought would struggle to make the playoffs this season has overachieved only served to intensify the pressure on Hextall, while pretty much removing any thought of dealing pending free agents Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and/or Bryan Rust to glean cap space and assets from the equation.

It was obvious the Pens needed to bolster their middle-six scoring in order to have a legit shot at the Cup. It was just as obvious we didn’t have a ton of cap space, spare talent and assets needed to acquire such a player.

Yet Hextall came through. Rickard Rakell represents a significant addition, not to mention upgrade in firepower. Sure, you hate to part with a second-round pick, and goalie Calle Clang may one day blossom. But Aston-Reese and Dominik Simon, while hard-working and diligent, weren’t irreplaceable.

Rakell has a chance to be a difference-maker. His presence may help push us past that opening-round barrier we’ve encountered in each of the last three postseasons. At least that’s the hope.

Eventually the house of cards that is the Pens’ current cap situation will come tumblin’ down…probably as early as this summer. It’s looking ever doubtful that we’ll be able to re-sign Letang and Rust (or Rakell for that matter) unless they agree to significant hometown discounts, as Malkin appears willing to do. Kasperi Kapanen is slated to become an RFA and will likely depart as well.

That’s a huge chunk of talent potentially walking out the door. When it occurs, it’ll be a supreme test of Hextall’s managerial skills and generalship.

Thus far, in his quiet, measured way, he’s proven to be more than up to the task.

Best Wishes

As a blogger and passionate Pens fan, it’s easy to become a little jaded and even harsh when opining about a player’s worth. I confess to being hard on Simon at times. In the heat of the creative moment, we tend to forget these guys are human, too.

Last night as I watched the opening stages of the Blackhawks-Ducks game, I couldn’t help but feel badly for Aston-Reese and Simon. (A third ex-Pen, Sam Lafferty skated for the ‘Hawks.) They’ve been part of the organization for a number of years and obviously felt at home in the ‘Burgh and with their teammates. Bonds and lasting friendships were formed. Then, suddenly, in the flash of a phone call or the blink of a text, you’re ripped away from an environment where you feel at home like a page torn from a notebook.

I tried to put myself in their shoes. I tried to imagine working the front desk at Wright’s Gym and suddenly receiving a phone call from my boss telling me I’d been traded to a gym out in California.

I can’t for one moment imagine the shock or the upheaval this would cause.

Where do I live? What about my current place? Do I sell it or keep it? If you have family, what about your wife and kids? How do you explain that you’ve been traded to them? How are they going to feel?

These guys don’t have weeks to adjust. Often, they just have time to gather their equipment and a few belongings and hop on a jet. They’re probably lucky if they get introduced to their new teammates before they join them on the ice and try to contribute. All the while suppressing what I’m sure are a churning cauldron of feelings and emotions. Not the least of which would be hurt over being deemed expendable. And in the case of the aforementioned players, going from a contender to a team that’s going nowhere.

On that rather somber note, I want to wish Dominik and Zach (and Sam) all the best with their new teams. And to thank them for the blood, sweat and sacrifices they made while wearing the black and gold.

Even though it may not have seemed like it at the time, they were very much appreciated.