Ex-Penguins Update: 2024 All-Star Break

With the NHL All-Star break upon us, I thought it would be an ideal time to check in on former Penguins around the league and see how they’re performing.

Usually I’ll go down the list and highlight certain players and performances. Today, I thought I’d focus on a handful of key expatriates jettisoned during the Ron Hextall era. Not to kick a guy when he’s down…I honestly believe our former GM did the best he could for his skill set…but I guess you might call this the pick-on-Hexy edition.

It goes without saying that some of Hextall’s castoffs would look mighty nice sporting the black-and-gold. Seattle’s Jared McCann, for one. We sure could use him (and those 20 goals of his) skating alongside Evgeni Malkin in place of Reilly Smith, currently injured and struggling to embrace his trade from Vegas. To say nothing of Jared’s seven power-play goals.

How different might we look today had GMRH not elected to protect Jeff Carter, productive though he was, over McCann in the 2021 Expansion Draft? A mistake compounded by trading the soon-to-be 40-goal-man to Toronto for middling (and ultimately failed) prospect Filip Hållander.

The irony is, the Maple Leafs left McCann unprotected as well. Their GM at the time?

Kyle Dubas.

Yikes.

Some of Hextall’s other egregious blunders?

Allowing versatile forward Even Rodrigues to walk away during the summer of ’22, choosing instead to devote a pile of cash to Kasperi Kapanen following Kappy’s dismal ’21-22 season. With his speed, tenacity and shot-first mentality, E-Rod sends a blizzard of pucks downstream to the opposing net. His play-driving? Off the charts (58.99 Corsi, 59.17 xGF% for the Panthers).

Given his ability to play up-and-down the lineup, not to mention all three forward positions? He’d be a perfect fit for us.

Trading quicksilver defenseman Mike Matheson to Montreal just as he was emerging for Ryan Poehling and aging d-man Jeff Petry, just as the latter’s game began to decline, while taking on salary to boot also makes the list.

I mentioned this in my last article, but it bears repeating. Matheson has seven goals and 34 points for the Habs, which matches Erik Karlsson’s output. He’s younger by four years and considerably cheaper ($4.875 million vs. $10 million).

The John Marino-for-Ty Smith deal obviously leaves a lot to be desired as well. Marino emerged as a solid second pairing defender for the Devils, while Smith has been buried in the minors with the exception of a nine-game, injury fueled cameo last season.

Okay, an off-the-wall thought. Although his underlying numbers are typically solid, Marino’s way underwater in terms of 5v5 goals for and against (33-48). Former Devil and present Pen Ryan Graves has been the opposite, so-so underlying numbers but a positive 5v5 goal differential (26-22). Graves was comfortable with the Devils’ system (plus-34 last season) and vice versa. They have virtually the same cap hit.

Might the struggling Devils be enticed to make a rare, in-division trade?

Probably not. But I thought I’d float the idea.