Ron Hextall when hired by in February 2021 received a To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”! contract from the Lemieux Group. Despite appeasing the new ownership by what many looked at as going All-In signing Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin into their 40’s, Hextall has not operated in trade talks like a General Manager who wants or is willing to mortgage any of the future (top assets) for a run this year. Elsewhere, some in the local media have criticized Hextall for not being around at times this season. There are reasons for that, especially of late. Hextall is invested in the 2023 draft class.

Taking a page of how he managed in Philadelphia, Hextall been heavily scouting 2023 draft eligible prospects, team sources said last week, an area General Manager’s don’t normally go out of their way to do in the middle of the NHL season. But, as one source said of Hextall, To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

FIRST ROUND PICK NOT IN PLAY

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“My job is to look at this team today, tomorrow, and a few years from now,” said Hextall.

MORE BUZZ

Better Team on Paper than Results? Hextall today claimed he really likes this team on paper but not the results. “We would like to get better,” said Hextall. “Sometimes getting better is making a move that is a better fit than what we have. When I look at our team on paper, I like our team. What I look at some of the games and the results, I don’t like it as much.”

Hextall’s Not Jim Rutherford: Jim Rutherford traded Carl Hagelin, who was one of Sidney Crosby’s closest friends from the pure standpoint of shaking up the room back in 2018 just to piss players off in that room. Rutherford would later regret it that season by trying to re-acquire Hagelin before someone with the Kings had to relay the message to the Penguins that league rules didn’t allow Pittsburgh to re-acquire Hagelin since the Penguins were retaining a portion of the cap hit. That’s just not how Hextall operates so anyone hoping for a shakeup move just for the sake of shaking up the roster as the Penguins have returned from the break will be waiting a while. “It’s To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

Tidbits: Hextall touted the obvious for much of the presser that the team as a whole need’s better consistency. He cited the likes of Casey DeSmith and the bottom-six, saying “it’s fair to say the chemistry hasn’t been what we need,” of Pittsburgh’s bottom-6 forwards……….Hextall on Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan: To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!