How Much Are Pittsburgh's Struggles Due to Ron Hextall?

[@Tony-Gunk]

Hextall traded away all the speed the Pens had & the rest he let walk. McCann, Tanev, Matheson, Marino, Rodriguez. Every one of them had me scratching my head. I think it's possible that bringing Carter in played a big part in them deciding to trade McCann away because they had at least 2 centers playing winger.

[@HutchIsOnYT]

Hextall: you want speed? Here’s Kappy for 2 more years!

[@dmonsef]

He had to shed salary. When the older core lock up a lot of salary for multiple years, your only option is trade away depth players on smaller contracts. You think Hextall had full anonymity to do what he wanted, the answer is no.

[@whatif8900]

@@dmonsef E rod making 1mil rn

[@HutchIsOnYT]

@@Mach141 incorrect. He was traded from Pittsburgh to Toronto prior to the expansion draft for Hallander. Brandon Tanev was taken in the draft McCann did get claimed from the Leafs tho in the draft

[@dmitrilee4784]

@@dmonsef but like, they make less money now than they did before, so how is the rest of the team so much worse

[@leinbajr]

My cat Maggie was very concerned when Bear left the screen early in the video and was looking behind the TV for her. I thought you should know that.

[@devackroyd]

I am a hometown Edmonton Oilers guy who grew up watching some bad teams and Penguins fans should really count their blessings. I am not even joking, last night was literally the first time in my entire 15+ years watching the sport where the Oilers beat the Penguins in a beatdown that wasn't even close. Before this current 5 game winning streak against the Pens, a game against the Penguins was a guaranteed loss, even well into the McDavid era. There are some silly highlights of the hapless late 2000's/2010's Oilers getting dunked on by Pittsburgh over a near 15 year span. The Pens were so good for so long that they acquired ridiculous winning streaks over bad teams they only saw twice a year. The point is to illustrate a small portion of this clubs dominance over the Crosby era and if it is coming to a close, even though nobody likes to lose, be thankful. I would have just died to see my team win 3 Cups, make 16 straight post seasons and have 4 finals appearances while growing up.

[@NESADDICT]

As a Pens fan since roughly 1994. I realized I missed the 91/92 cups and feel very lucky and vindicated that they won in 09 and 16/17. I do feel lucky. Also pulling for McDavid to get his. Love seeing all the new blood in the league like him, Matthews, Marner, Hughes and the rest.

[@devackroyd]

@@NESADDICT Trust me, I love Sidney Crosby, watching the Golden Goal in the 2010 Olympics as a 12 year old kid was just magic, he is truly one of the greats. I just think it is important to remember where you're at and what you were fortunate enough to get to see as a fan. It was always a little weird for me as an Oilers fan because I wasn't even alive when the team won 5 Cups. So getting to see the McDavid era has been a treat even without the championships.

[@jahmanoog461]

Wow. This from an Oiler fan, now you know what it was like during your 80s dynasty.

[@PeterHKwok]

​@@jahmanoog461There was no Oilers dynasty in any decade, but they did well in the 1980s, though the playoff format was rigged in their favor for 1984 which only lasted until the 1985 postseason before it was changed

[@eYeCeD7]

Definitely lucky to be a pens fan with the great teams in the 90s and since we drafted crosby and started the new era. However its just as frustrating to see someone come only a few years in and completely dismantle the team. They were having their struggles before he came into the mix but it was never this bad. The players just seem defeated as the game goes on knowing they have no chance.

[@pt93music]

All I know is this team hasn't been the same since Kessel and Flower left.

[@HutchIsOnYT]

Guarantee nothing would’ve been different the last 5 years if Fleury never left Edit: also we traded Phil at a perfect time. POJ, acquired in the deal, has been a bright spot this season. Alex Galchenyuk eventually got moved for Zucker, another bright spot this season.

[@JHockeyFan]

Hasn’t been the same since the 2017 Draft where they traded down for Reaves and missed on all their picks

[@stevensonalderworstmd329]

They haven't been the same since lemieux retired

[@KevinJL]

I said the curse of Fleury and got push back lol

[@benjaminmiller788]

Fleury is the missing piece to this team's success. He is the original member of the core four 😏

[@JamesSomersetActor]

Those trades made me wince seeing them written out like that. Some of the players who have been moved out over the last couple of years is depressing.

[@spencerirvine4308]

Like you’ve said before, Penguins are in the same tricky situation as my Capitals. Older players, cap space issues, and needing to keep the playoff window open to keep Crosby happy. Crazy that they’ve made the playoffs for 16 years straight!

[@Aarron656]

the older players are not the issue besides Carter. Sid, Geno are leading the team in points and carrying the whole team on their back

[@dmonsef]

@@Aarron656 Pens might want to find a long term #1 goalie because Jarry is not the answer due to his injuries. What is it with the Pens goalie scouting that keep coming up with injured goalies, Murray, Jarry and Smith? They still haven't found a long term solution since MAF. If I were the Pens, I would use Jarry as a trade piece to acquire a #1 goalie. The $3.5 he makes could be off the books for next season, but try to get some return value for him.

[@Cartergarrett26]

There just becoming the redwings you can't justify retooling to your core and fans and can't get in championship contention because of age

[@Cartergarrett26]

So you simply have to ride it out

[@jahmanoog461]

CAPS are in a much better

[@Mike_Potapov]

I remember Malkin in 2012... He was hands down best player in the world this year. Loved his appearance Magnitogorsk during the lockout!

[@kingtchenka628]

His 2009 playoff run was insane

[@mathwiz3145]

Hold on About the 2020 bubble When asked to vote about the expanded playoffs and the playoff bubble and so on, Pittsburgh was the only team that said no during the initial vote. Pittsburgh saw the expanded bubble would give Carey Price a chance at post season play. They did not want that match up. Of the 31 teams, Pittsburgh voted no. They knew playoff Carey Price was gonna be a problem. And it showed in that series that Pittsburgh lost. So, while we can argue it was a “shocker” Pittsburgh knew they were gonna be in for a rough series if they played Montreal. Rather than calling it a shocker, Pittsburgh saw it as a problem more than anything else.

[@brianhobaugh]

As a Pens fan and 21 year old, I don’t really remember the Pens being bad or missing the playoffs, so them threatening not getting in is a weird feeling for me. The door is millimeters away from closing on them. Should they miss the playoffs, it’ll be interesting to watch the playoffs without them and to be able to enjoy games without having any emotional attachment to them. As much as I want them to make it, they’ll likely get steamrolled in the first round if they do.

[@DoBap_]

@@gah72b drafting 1st and 2nd a whole bunch will do that… Unless you’re Edmonton of course 😏

[@christhomas6455]

​@@gah72b ah yes the days of players like Dick Tarnstrom, Rico Fata, and Milan Kraft. I remember the whole generation x thing growing up that brought back some nostalgia

[@davidminor4213]

I understand that. I was born in 79 and I was 26 the first time the Blues missed the playoffs

[@joehung1552]

​@@christhomas6455 don't forget Kris Beech.

[@christhomas6455]

@@joehung1552 yes! That's how you know if someone is a real penguins fan right there if you can name other players that were there before Sid and Geno then mostly likely you know what a true bad team was not like most of these fans that a spoiled by 16 seasons of making the playoffs and probably jumping on the bandwagon back in 08 for the first Stanley cup appearance in years

[@baugustob.7892]

I’ve now officially been subbed to THG for 3 years and the videos are still fantastic. Unreal consistency.

[@kingtchenka628]

Absolutely

[@kevinhesspschamp8889]

300 sub veteran here

[@PavilionParty]

Pens fan here. "Did Jake get the chocolates?!? What did he think??" just made me spit my drink out laughing at 8 am. Well played, Shannon.

[@Galactus314]

The Pens traded away a lot their future for the present to win cups. Which they did. And it really didn't cost them much. Looking back, in 2013, Calgary took Morgan Klimchuk with our 1st rounder (but we also drafted Jarry and Guentzel in the 2nd and 3rd rounds). In 2014, we drafted Kasperi Kapanen, but 3 picks later, Boston took Pastrnak. Also, Igor Shesterkin was drafted 5 picks after Sam Lafferty in the 4th (but we already had Greiss and Zatkoff as backups, and Murray and Jarry in the system). In 2015, the Islanders took Barzal with our 1st (part of a 3-way trade with Edmonton for Perron). In 2016, Anaheim took Sam Steel with our 1st round pick, in the second round, we took Kasper Bjorkqvist (Adam Fox was taken 5 picks later). 2017, the Blues took Klim Kostin (who hasn't done much so far). In 2018, the Rangers took K'Andre Miller. In 2019, we took Samuel Poulin. In 2020, Toronto took Rodion Amirov. In 2021, Minnesota took Carson Lambos. Unless noted like Pastrnak and Fox, there really wasn't much after these picks that I can say the Penguins missed out on. Barzal is the only one that stands out, especially since David Perron really didn't work out here. Yes, there's a chance we could have had Pastrnak and Adam Fox, but I don't think there was really much indication that those players would be as good as they are. So 2 Stanley Cups, and all it cost was Matthew Barzal. I still think that's a good deal. And while I'd like to see Domi come to the Pens, it would be great if they could do it without giving up a first rounder.

[@Oxmen33]

Alex Nylander is a completely different player this year and has been putting up increasingly strong numbers. I don't know how it hasn't worked at the NHL level when Pittsburgh hasn't played him a single minute.

[@Severance8859]

You hit the nail on the head.

[@TheMujiFuji]

Does Ron get to slash people in the office like he did on the ice? That would immediately increase his effectiveness.

[@jonathanboivin9454]

As a Pens fan, I'm greatful for everything we've accomplished in the last 16 years. It just sucks that our team struggles and both our Gm and coach dont do anythig about it. They keep rolling the same lines night after night even though uts not working. It would suck to miss the playpffs, really, but we've lived through so much sucess I feel we take it for granted, I think missing the playpffs this year could be really good for our team's future and I wouldn't be that mad about it. Anyway, if we make it in, we'll get walked on in the 1st round. I'd like to see a team like buffalo make it, ending their playoff drought. They're young and hingry, it would be nice to watch!

[@charlescowart1931]

Agreed. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but our time is up I think

[@robertmuller1344]

I am amazed at how The Hockey Guy can do a 26 minute talk without a break or two or three

[@blackenedmagic888]

Kapanen used to drive me nuts when he was with the Leafs. He has really good hands, elite speed, and a better than average shot and release, yet game to game, you didn't know what you were going to get. It was so annoying when you see him in the lineup with his potential and not have the mindset to access that potential.

[@jeffreycherep8264]

If he could manage to get consistent (on the good side) he would be one of my favorite players. He has everything he needs,but can't seem to keep it all together,which means that I think that you're right,it's a mental thing. I wonder if he has problems with depression?

[@Pete-th9oq]

Isn;t he in St Louis now?

[@jeffreycherep8264]

I think that you're thinking of Oskar Sundqvist.

[@blackenedmagic888]

@@jeffreycherep8264 Sundqvist never played for Toronto.

[@jeffreycherep8264]

@@blackenedmagic888 I meant on St Louis. I hadn't heard yet that he had been picked up off of waivers.

[@Looch1717]

How Penguins brass got tricked into signing a Flyers lifer as their GM, I will never understand. He is clearly there to sabotage.

[@nadaduo1765]

Hextall traded Jared McCann for a 7th an AHL'er, protected Carter & Kapanen over McCann & Tanev at the expansion draft, let Evan Rodrigues walk for free & re signed Kapanen instead & then put Kapanen on waivers 5 months later, traded Lafferty for Nylander & then sent Nylander to the AHL which is where he has remained from the day he was traded 13 months ago, traded Marino to a divisional team for Ty Smith & sent Smith the AHL, made the team older, slower, in cap hell, gave a new contract to a coach that has lost in the 1st round of the playoffs 4 years in a row, the guy is clueless

[@earthquakkejake9894]

Yup!! So ridiculous!!

[@earthquakkejake9894]

All those guys are playing well on their new teams... We suck

[@Jgardonis]

Honest assessment of Hextall from a Pens fan: I liked his idea of not just giving away draft picks (especially 1st rounders), like Jim Rutherford routinely did, his trade for Jeff Carter back in 2021 worked, and so did Rickard Rakell. His signing of core players including Rakell, Malkin, Letang and Rust under market value was great too. BUT, his free agency signings particularly for bottom-6 players and some of his trades involving d-men have failed big time. His cap management has been undercut by bad contracts, and his inability to find ways to fix that, and do anything proactive for that matter have put the team in the position they are in. And for that, he needs to get fired, because as Flyers fans can attest to, it's only going to get worse. This is the same guy who essentially gave the middle of the finger to all of his scouts when they said draft Cale Makar and instead, he drafted Nolan Patrick and we see how well thats gone.

[@sizzle8558]

how did his trade for jeff carter work? carter is 2nd worst player on the team. possibly worst.

[@peaceandwealthseeker4504]

it's hard to keep all those and have room for bottom six

[@doctorpitt]

Carter trade worked because Carter played well that season. But the Carter extension with NMC was horrible

[@Jgardonis]

@@sizzle8558 He scored 9 goals in 14 games when they first got him and then scored 4 in just 6 playoff games for them so it started off very well. But it all went downhill after they extended him last year. Should've just not signed him beyond last year.

[@Jgardonis]

@@peaceandwealthseeker4504 they could've done well if they didn't spend a total of over $9 on Kapanen, Carter and McGinn none of whom are very effective players. Kapanen is gone now but the Pens could've signed him for $1 million and wouldn't have had to worry about someone trying offer sheet him, and I feel he could've done better with a better center this year. Carter just doesn't have it anymore.

[@jordanholmes9943]

The ducks let Simon and Aston-Reese go when the season ended, but got a good prospect for that pick (luneau) and some depth in the net from Clang. But Anaheim misses Rakell.

[@Ratzy1614]

i see what he was doing with the marino deal, Ty Smith appeared to have upside but that deal did not work out as planned. i'd say hes made 50% good deals but losing 2 forwards for Hallander and trading for Nylander were questionable

[@johndoe11879]

I was just watching the Pens last night. And was wondering “what the F@#k happened to this team?”

[@jayvardy]

Pittsburgh technically missed the Playoffs in the bubble season. According to the NHL itself, those eliminated in the qualifying round were counted as "missing the playoffs" and thus were eligible for the draft lottery. Pittsburgh lost to Montreal in the bubble. But anyways.... Mike Sullivan is going to be the most in demand coach this offseason.

[@legithacksource2324]

It’s not counted in the record books as missing the playoffs so that’s why they still have their streak. That’s according to NHL as well

[@johnclaudevondon5333]

There is still Barry Trotz…

[@dmonsef]

@@johnclaudevondon5333 Trotz hasn't decided yet and would you really want Trotz to kill the Pens offense because Trotz is about team structure and being responsible in your own end of the ice? He doesn't coach an up-tempo style team like a lot of the NHL teams are shaping up to be.

[@johnclaudevondon5333]

@@dmonsef Absolutely. I agree. I don't think Trotz would be the best fit for the pens. But I think most teams would rather have Trotz than Sullivan.

[@HutchIsOnYT]

Man I wish we would deal Petry. He’s still got value and would clear so much cap

[@Katie-hb8iq]

All in all, Pens fans should still be happy, even if they potentially had 1 or 2 more runs left in them with different management. The odds to win a Stanley Cup are about 1 in 30 for any given year, and they've won 5 Stanley Cups in 32 years. This is an astronomical rate. If the Penguins didn't win for another 30 or even 60 years, they would still be ahead of many franchises. If I were a fan, I would be grateful I got to see them win multiple Stanley Cups in my lifetime. That is honestly not a given in this league. Pretty much half the league hasn't won in the last 30 years. The Pens were already fortunate enough to reload with Malkin and Crosby after the Jagr/Lemieux era. Without a lockout and that specific timing, this would not have happened - very fortuitous indeed. Being grateful is important.

[@HALberdier17]

I am grateful for what they've accomplished in my liftetime, they won the Stanley Cup 5 times since I started watching hockey. They only missed the playoffs 4 times during my time watching hockey, 7 times in my lifetime.

[@jeremiegould1978]

Been a Penguins fan since Lemieux got drafted and I'm super grateful! I'm not sure if it's better to squeak into the playoffs and likely lose in the first round; or to miss them and have our change in the draft lottery. We've had that luck in the past, just saying... (unlikely, but possible)

[@Tobris]

As a Penguins fan, there's blame to go around. Hextall definitely made bad defensive moves in the summer. Some nights the players get on the ice and they look like they've got nothing invested in the game, goaltending is inconsistent and we've known that about Jarry and DeSmith for quite some time. There are a lot of holes in the ship and there's not enough cap space to fix any of them without potentially creating another hole. We mortgaged the future for an (unofficial) dynasty and this is the cracks in the lining that are going to keep getting bigger and bigger without a lot of work. You can make the argument that a lot of those holes were caused by the GM, and he definitely has the Lion's share of blame in my mind, but not all of it. He's not the one that makes the team inconsistent on a nightly and period-to-period, shift-to-shift basis. And he inherited a lot of weird things that Rutherford left behind, and doubled down on some of them.

[@smarbels]

From 2003-2006 Pittsburgh's draft spots were 1st (Fleury), 2nd (Malkin), 1st (Crosby), and 2nd (J Staal). You can see how being at the bottom of the league and grabbing those top draft picks can really turn a franchise around. Seems like it's just about time for a reset for Pittsburgh

[@jeffthewhiff]

Shannon, I really enjoyed your analysis of my favorite team and I believe that it is very accurate. As far as the job Ron Hextall has done, it is a judgment call because he has made some good moves and some not so good. I was really surprised when the Pens let Matheson and Marino go last summer because they had been playing very well. It is interesting to watch the highlights from NHL games because in so many cases, many of the players Pittsburgh have let go, are contributing quite a bit with other teams. The worst thing the team can do is continue to trade-away their future draft picks.

[@bcaskanette]

They should have been rebuilding in 2020. Fans can get mad at Hextall all day, but they would have been more mad if he did the right thing for the team 3 years ago.

[@blakethesnake53]

Shannon's Teddy Blueger jersey gently weeps

[@pensavspatsfandom98]

I don’t think it’s all on Hextall, I think it’s the team that’s not the same team as it once was, when they won the Cup twice in a row and they unfortunately fell off.

[@jahmanoog461]

What sensible analysis. Lost speed, energy, grit. Way more shots allowed this year than last, when the thug Rangers mugged us out of the playoffs, without Zucker and Rakell playing or clicking like this year. This team has to get past the Islanders and couldn't do it this year. The logo is fine, we have photographic memories of Mario/Jagr/et al wearing it.

[@jeffreyhughes5190]

The disallowed goal @ Was in 2018 was the start of it

[@dmonsef]

Even as a die hard Caps fan, I can see from the outside what has happened to the Pens. Rutherford traded away a lot of futures to go for Cups. Hextall on the other hand is here to preach patience and hold onto/develop prospects and future draft picks. He tried to do that with the Flyers but was fired because the Flyers ownership/upper management was stupid. Hextall has already proved himself because behind the scenes he did it with the Kings. I would have to say just like the Kings, the Pens need to fix their goaltending and defense. Hextall has his work cut out for him, as he's trying to clean up the mess that Rutherford made.

[@cpzackproductions8821]

Defense wasn’t even a concern until Hexy became the GM. He essentially replaced Matheson and Marino with Petry and Rutta. Goaltending wasn’t supposed to be a problem either but Jarry decided he’s made of glass and Desmith fell off of a cliff. Hexy right now tho is struggling with an old Rutherford problem of fixing the bottom 6. Bringing in Carter was great. Signing him to a 2 year deal at 37 with an NMC, not great. Bringing in McGinn was great. Paying him 2.75 for 4 years when his offense has been a major question mark his entire career, not great. Hexy is also building a team that cycles 3 lines instead of 4 when his coach Mike Sullivan is known for cycling all 4 and him doing that was a major reason why the Pens were so dominant in their cup runs.

[@2jackdolan]

I like the Robo-Penguin logo even more now 😂

[@MK-ji9ke]

Agree with pretty much everything. At the start of last year (21-22), I thought the Pens would miss the playoffs. Crosby and Malkin were injured. Jarry had shown flashes of brilliance the previous season but had a bad playoff. But then Carter, Heinen and Rodrigues carried the offense. Sid and Geno come back, performed as expeccted and the Pens made the playoffs. If Jarry and DeSmith hadn't been injured, I think the Pens may have made the Conference Finals. Losing Marino, Matheson and Rodrigues hurt. I know Petry is a top defensive defenseman but trading young players away isn't good for the team's speed. I think there are a couple of players who are overpaid - 1) Zucker signed with the Wild for 5.5m after a 30 goal season. He's playing with two of the best centres in the league. He should be hitting 40 goals/season but isn't close. Guentzel has scored 0.5 goals/game pace for the last few seasons and makes 6m. Zucker gets more than Rust and Rakell and the same as Konecny in Philly. 2) Kapanen is on 3m. Thinking back to the 2014 draft hurts because Boston picked up Pastrnak 3 picks after Kapanen. I'd like to see the Pens trade for Meier, Duclair or Debrincat. That calibre of winger, playing with Crosby or Malkin, would be sufficient to get the Pens safely into the playoffs and maybe even a few rounds in. Unlikely that the Pens could get one of those players though. Ultimately though, we are seeing the end of the Pens as a constant cup contender. When Crosby, Malkin and Letang retire, it will be a while before they return to the playoffs.

[@brianhobaugh]

Letting Tanev and McCann go for basically nothing really hurt this team. Letting Marino go was also a terrible move.

[@earthquakkejake9894]

They cut the deal they had with tanev

[@ritterengine1289]

It’s quite clear Pens are mentally defeated at this point. Their season might be over unless they revive mentally asap.

[@MrMooMoo088]

Think Ron has been great, we truly love Marino here in NJ!

[@matthewgregory8218]

Also when Buffalo makes the playoff, you won’t see a long playoff less drought again. In 2017 Detroit ended there playoff streak, while Edmonton ended a longest playoff less streak.

[@genoesposito2895]

Great vid. Needed this

[@BrennanEarl]

McCann tanny moves kills to look back on as a pens fan.

[@Howl201]

Yeah your right man, the lafferty trade looked like a whatever deal at the time but Lafferty became a useful bottom 6 forward for the Hawks

[@Klatchan]

I've always liked the Robo-Penguin, because he reminds me of Chill Penguin from Mega Man X.

[@playeroftheweek100]

I think Sullivan has ran his course in Pittsburgh I think Hextal needs at least 2 more year minimum to see what he can actually do. Sure he has made a few questionable moves.

[@Aarron656]

not just hextall and burke but it's also the new ownership. Hextall would have less power and would probably make smarter decisions if Mario was still owner

[@johnstaniszewski5504]

Where Hextall screwed up is giving Kapanen that ridiculous extension and giving Carter a 2 year extension. That really hurt the cap space

[@benfertig4236]

As a Penguin fan, the fact that our GM is an ex-Flyer is what irks me the most lol

[@jaredkrol3739]

He just has done such a bad job building a decent bottom 6. The Pens still have a good top 6, but the bottom 6 is like a graveyard.

[@deanhenry4668]

Shannon should be on Hockey Night in Canada with Bieksa between the 1st and 2nd period ,having their own segement weekly.

[@darrenshorsky2984]

"van had some nice jerseys" thats the best!!

[@name-vi6fs]

This team has been good for over a decade. No fan base should expect a level of greatness that lasts this long in the cap era.

[@maxpowr90]

See you never met Boston fans.

[@charlescowart1931]

Every team has their time

[@Aarron656]

NICE! was just asking for this lmao

[@mcgee9777]

It’s been his plan from the beginning! Who would hire a flyer to run the pens?

[@johnclaudevondon5333]

Pens flipped a 6th round pick for John Marino for Ty Smith (17th overall).

[@chrissie6105]

I don’t think Pens fans would be that upset if Hextall trades their first, if it actually does the team some good. As far as I’ve seen the majority opinion is to really go for it as long as the big three are still here, no matter the cost, and suffer the consequences once they’ve retired 😅

[@dustinsindledecker154]

It has to be the right trade to even sacrifice a 1st rounder.

[@BlackraiderPlaysMc]

I got to meet Alex talk with him for a while, and hangout and according to him he’s been working his ass off, he knows he was traded and acquired by the penguins for a reason and is doing his best to try and live up to expectations. Really cool guy as well (as a ranger fan ofc)

[@kingtchenka628]

Galchenyuk?

[@him8012]

This video is pretty spot-on as a Pens fan but I have two little tweaks I'd like to add: - While in the immediate the Devils won the Marino/Ty Smith trade I will say when Smith was called up when Petry/Letang were out he looked pretty good and was producing offensively. He had 4 points in 9 games and was a +3. In the long-run I think the pens win this trade as Smith is younger and has more natural skill & upside to him. Pens just don't have room for him on the roster this season. - The Lafferty/Nylander trade is an L but Pens management won't give him a shot. Nylander is producing VERY well in the AHL but hasn't been given a call up yet for some reason despite our bottom 6 being completely useless.

[@elguapo5820]

With Jeff Carter don’t let a falling star land on you. It’s always a risk signing those 35+ players

[@cps7962]

great piece. love this. great knowledge.

[@MaverickWall238]

Matheson, when he has played has been so good for the Habs. 14 points in 23 games. For a guy who makes 4,875 per year it's literally a bargain. Considering he's younger than Petry and better at the moment, Habs win that deal for me.

[@gipester6]

It's all fun and games chanting to fire Hextall until your team replaces him with Chuck Fletcher

[@Footy_Fan]

I wonder if Hextal tries to get Gavrikov and/or Korpisalo from us. Granted, the Penguins are who many of us fans consider to be our arch-rival, and if they DID try to move for Korpi or Vlad, I am certain that either us, or another club would have to still eat a chunk of those salaries. I am anxious to see if we DO move anyone, and if we do, what we get in return.

[@oneshotrincon14]

Keith Kinkaid was just traded to Boston. We are in a race for the metro and other teams are freaking beefing up!! We are doing nothing!! What are we doing?!?!?!

[@TheHockeyGuy]

Kinkaid was traded to Colorado....

[@ronfroehlich4697]

The logo change happened because the owner, Howard Baldwin hated the old penguin logo. I hate that logo. I always black and gold throwback to the original 1967 jersey has always been cool, though.

[@Lesverts]

Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby..... Connor Bedard. Time for the NHL to send another saviour to Pittsburgh

[@cannoliscards]

I think they should trade pending UFAs away and put the cap space they’ll have this off-season and the next to good use. Jarry seems to be either hurt or inconsistent so I would trade him if they can get a decent return. Gibson’s trade value with his contract and stats this year has to be the lowest it’s ever been. I think he’d be easy to get next year.

[@schumdav]

Good analysis, especially on the McCann trade.

[@Howl201]

Hextall definitely shouldn’t be fired this year but next year if things don’t improve he should definitely be on the hot seat. The Carter trade was good

[@Mechanicsville804]

I think it’s time for a new voice behind the bench.

[@NESADDICT]

He sucked in Phili and I wasn’t a fan since the Pens hired him.

[@EpilepticBob]

Pittsburgh brought back the Robo penguin. That’s the reason they’re outside of the playoffs lol ;)

[@Tony-Gunk]

21:30 I don't want to sound like a kook here but I remember the Pittsburgh Pirates tailspinning after a logo change too lol

[@JHockeyFan]

I like the current logo for the Penguins

[@p1ls726]

Should get that Jagr kid over in Czech

[@dcarre]

Flyers would concur.

[@seanreilly7971]

Could a Kapanen and 2nd for Dvorak and a 4th work out for the Penguins? Change of scenery for both players. Montreal would retain 1 million in cap for the higher draft pick.

[@earthquakkejake9894]

Lol I wish

[@kieranperreaultdit-morin9262]

Feels like he’s keeping the team on the same course JR did before his departure

[@GoodMenstruationAttitude]

And if he didn't Pens fans would be calling for his head the moment Sid complained. Hexy may suck as a GM, but it's so reactionary to assume anything yet

[@JHockeyFan]

Poor drafting under Rutherford and his amateur scouting staff has put them in this position. Look at the 2017 Draft, zero games from that class. They haven’t had a massive steal contribute on the roster since Jake Guentzel in 2013.

[@gocanuckurself1]

@@JHockeyFan Wow! 0 games from the whole class? Brutal. Now I’m even more worried he’s in charge of my Canucks 😬

[@cpzackproductions8821]

@@JHockeyFanto be fair Drozg was supposed to be a steal and Will Reilly looked like such a solid defensive defenseman his entire time coming up. Even tho he’s not a Penguin anymore I’m still really excited for him to make it to the NHL

[@JHockeyFan]

@@cpzackproductions8821 Reilly was drafted after his D+2. His ceiling and floor were never that high. Drozg just didn’t pop off when he came to North America to play junior

[@chrissie6105]

Watching this video as a Pens fan is like hockey therapy lol

[@MatthewColosimo24]

McGinn and Carter have been just running laps out there for the last 20+ games. Carter has 1 point and McGinn has zero.

[@BrennanEarl]

This!! I laughed when he was talking about McGinn

[@Pete-th9oq]

With this team, you can actually see them getting SSSSLLLLOOOOWWWWEEERRRR!

[@jacobthomas7022]

I am amazed at how much the Pens situation is a mirror of the Capitals. Caps went and traded away Orlov for picks. interested to see what the Pens do

[@kevinhirtle9754]

Desmith has to go he isnt even worth having as a Backup

[@September2004]

Bobby Clarke had some complaints about Hextall’s time as Flyers GM on the Cam & Strick podcast.

[@dpause10]

Pittsburgh fans are ignoring the fundamentals here, which is that the core of this team is 35+ yo, meaning they are probably closer to retirement than their peak years. Father time is undefeated so the decline will continue until the Pens start a complete rebuild. To blame Hextall for how he is managing the tail end of this dynasty is like blaming the CEO who takes over Kodak after digital photography has become the name of the game.

[@timw4369]

they have to decide what they want. Do they want to rebuild for the future or use their superstars and win the cup again. They cant do both so thats where the team is..

[@SteeleZack]

In effort to hope to keep the streak alive to turn 17, Hextall has added veterans (also retained ex. Letang) . I think he added/retained too many. If they don't make the playoffs, I assume the idea of rebuild will at least come up in discussions.

[@jeffgardner3596]

You can make the argument of trading this year's first round pick. Jacob Chychrun

[@bjorncarlgren710]

Ty Smith season has not been hampered by injury! He has played 30 gms in ahl 15 points. 9 in Nhl 4 points. He has been wasting away in the minors because we didn't have the cap space. Which is egregious on Hextall. When we finally got the space cuz of injury he came up and looked great! But he was still sent back down for god only knows why! He has ben in the show since he was a rookie. He can skate has offense and was a shot in the arm to the lineup! Imo this has been hextall biggest mistake. Marino came out the gate hot and sizzled out and I wasn't crazy about the trade but it makes it worse when the main return u let waste away in the ahl. This lid needs to be in the NHL. Dumolin has been trash. I don't care if he plays on his off side. He needs to be in the NHL yesterday!!!!!

[@richardj3025]

It was Howard Baldwin's ownership that brought out that "Corporate Pigeon" logo...

[@nneichan9353]

I absolutely couldn't fathom some of the trades.

[@kevinhesspschamp8889]

22:00 ill let the habs know to keep wearing the blue logos when Gavin is in the draft years from now

[@patch8376]

I'm supposed to be taking a break from hockey. This is addictive though, this kind of hockey talk.

[@bruinsfan8278]

What is the fascination with Danton Heinen?

[@starkiller34]

I highly disagree on the Petry Matheson trade. I think MTL won that so far. The Matheson trade talk is only happening because the Habs have so many injuries, making guys like Savard and Matheson more attractive. They wouldn't even be talked about if Edmunson and Monahan weren't injured and untradeable. IF Matheson were to get moved, it would be because another team overpaid for him, I'm talking a first AND more. Overall Matheson is having a great season in MTL, he is younger than Petry and also cheaper. his PPG is higher, his shot percentage is higher..... I honestly think this was a terrible trade for the Pens, lol. Poelhing doesnt move the needle at all for me either.

[@theibault32]

THANKS!

[@johnfeeley7094]

Spencer Knight has entered the league's substance abuse program. Heres hoping he gets the help he needs and bounces back next season.

[@akimbojimbo8625]

It’s Burke. Destroyer of franchises.

[@errryup6991]

They're tanking for Bedard 🤔

[@ryanstaunton421]

Would love to see domi come to the penguins. I heard they are going for boeser too