Hextall Seems to Indicate Penguins Trade for 3rd Line, Won’t Dump Top Pick
CRANBERRY — The Pittsburgh Penguins need to improve their chemistry, especially on the much criticized third line. They will not make merely a shakeup trade, and a Penguins trade involving their first-round pick, at least for a salary dump, is basically off-limits.
Penguins GM Ron Hextall addressed the media at the UPMC Lemieux Complex less than one month before the March 3 NHL trade deadline. While he did his best to avoid specifics as the team hurtles towards the point of no return, struggling for wins and consistency, he did take one possible move off the table.
Hextall will not trade the Penguins’ first-round pick to move out a salary, and it didn’t sound like the first-rounder was in play for a straight-up deal, either.
Reports since the summer indicate the going rate amongst teams with more salary cap space than ambition has been a first-round pick or equivalent.
“I would say that’s not on the table. I haven’t been asked for that. Certainly, conversations are starting to pick up with a lot of guys,” Hextall said. “But there’s a lot of guys that are looking to see what’s out there, (not a lot of GMs) kind of grabbing the group. ‘Okay, we’d be interested in this or this on both sides.’
“Whether you’re a buyer or seller, not a lot of teams — obviously, we saw the big one the other day with the Islanders — but there are not a lot of teams that are looking to jump (or are) getting down to the fine strokes here. But certainly, the talk is picking up …Â But in terms of first round picks for getting salary out, I don’t see that as being an option for us.”.
CapFriendly.com projects the Penguins to have just over 18k of cap space when healthy. Hextall’s ice-cold water on the possibility, combined with the Penguins’ extremee lack of cap space, begin to frame the coming trade deadline.
It’s not talent, as Hextall sees it, but fit and working within the salary cap confines.
“When I look at our team on paper, I like our team. When I look at some of the games and the results, I don’t like it as much. So sometimes you get better when you make a move with a certain player that fits better, whether it’s internal or external,” said Hextall. “…We’re going to be creative with our cap situation. I think there are 22 teams either within $2 million of the cap or into LTIR. So there’s a lot of teams that are in a tight situation here, and certainly, we’re one of them. So we’ll have to be creative, but we’d certainly like them to find something that upgrades our group. And, like I said, maybe it’s a better fit.”
Beyond the Penguins’ limitations will be the big names like Timo Meier, for whom division rivals New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers remain the rumored favorites.
Like many fans, Hextall circled his third line for improvement, and all three frequent inhabitants, Brock McGinn, Jeff Carter, and Kasperi Kapanen, could be the odd man or men out.
Carter has 19 points and just one even-strength, 5v5 goal since scoring against the LA Kings on Oct. 20.
Kapanen, who was in a regular contact jersey at practice Sunday, has been in and out of the press box as a healthy scratch. He has 17 points in 35 games, including six goals, though three were scored in one game.
“I think it’s fair to say the chemistry hasn’t been like we hoped it would be. There are times where we’ve had some chemistry down there, but over the course of the year, the chemistry hasn’t been that great,” Hextall said. “And chemistry is tough to define when you’re talking about a line or a hockey team or defense or a forward group, but you can feel it and see it when it’s there. And I think that’s somewhere where we can look to hopefully improve.”
Hextall also seemed to dismiss the idea of a shakeup trade. In stark contrast to his predecessor Jim Rutherford, who openly threatened such things at a couple of points in his Penguins tenure, Hextall held that there would be no bad deals or trades just to make changes.
Penguins fans may grimly remember Rutherford dealing Carl Hagelin to the LA Kings for struggling winger Tanner Pearson (and then trading Pearson later that season and trying to reacquire Hagelin).Â
“It’s really dangerous to feel like you have to make a deal because, quite frankly, you look at the history and all of a sudden you make a bad deal. We’re not going to make a bad deal,” Hextall said. “We’re going to make a deal because we feel like it makes our team better in terms of the chemistry part that I’m talking about. We can bring in a piece that we think will fit better with our group here and maybe connect the line. That’s what we’ll look to do.”
That sure sounds like a third-line center, doesn’t it?
Hextall used to have a personal rule — he always wanted $2 million of cap space to make trades or call-ups, but the flat cap and the chance to keep star players erased that.
On the heels of Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke telling Dave Molinari the team was “looking hard” for a deal, Hextall framed the coming three weeks. The Penguins want to make moves, but they just won’t be headline making deals. They won’t sacrifice too much of the future, nor will Hextall trade someone to make a point.
Categorized:Penguins
Good man! Stay the course.. support the stars build for the future. Maybe another Rakell deal is out there, but for the 3rd line. Oh and a backup goalie
I’m tired of staying the course gets old
Third line center trade targets. High end: Sam Bennett. If Florida continues to struggle this one could be a possibility. This would take a 2nd a prospect and a 2023 salary offset only. Doumilin fits her because his contract is $4.1 through 2023 while Bennett is $4.425 through 2025. Clearing the salary and the 2nd would check the boxes for Florida. It would give the Pens a 3rd line center until 2025. Medium: Max Domi. This would also take a 2023 second, a prospect, and Doumilin. It would give the Pens $1M in cap space for a rental. Low end:… Read more »
I’ve been wanting Bennett in a Pens uniform for years. That guy is a warrior. Domi could be a good fit also.
Add a beast somewhere else in the lineup. (McDermid, Nazorov, etc) This may not be a popular vote by many fans, but I think the team would welcome players of that ilk. The coach? Meh , I’m not so sure.
I like Richie on LW
Doesn’t look good. Who would want Carter or Kappy, maybe Ginner.
Maybe try putting Jarry on LTIR and get Gibson from the Ducks if possible.
I believe Gibson makes over $6 mil so a lot of salary needs to go the other way. Either way, if they don’t figure out how to play defense it won’t matter who is in net
Any time HexBurke wants to call the Ducks and acquire Gibson and Henrique for a couple or three players and a mid-level prospect or two is all right with me. #JustDoIt
If you are going to spend over $12M a year for those 2. There got to be a better option. It is hard enough to do a trade to offset $3 or $4m. What’s the trade to offset $12 this year and next plus Gibson long term.
Lots of options here. The Ducks could pick and choose some combo of DeSmith, Jarry, Rust, Blueger, Heinen, McGinn, Kapanen . . . There’s $20 mill worth of contracts there. I would take my chances with a third line of O’Connor/McGinn, Henrique and Carter. And Gibson and DeSmith/Tokarski could carry the load with prospects Blomqvist/Gauthier/Lingberg in the wings. And if Henrique pulls a Brassard, which I seriously doubt, he could be off the books after next season.
Don’t know if the Islanders would do it, but what about J.G. Pageau for 3c? The Pens need a shutdown line and a guy to put out there at the end of a game!
The Islanders need to catch the Penguins to make the playoffs. Would you help the prey that you’re stalking?
Well, I know coaches have been fired after getting a strong endorsement, but I don’t get the impression that HC Sullivan has any worries about his tenure here. Moving players would be optimal if they are not responding…….. Mystery with that statement as I think there are some players who don’t respond to his approach or game plan. Very interesting press conference. Being up against the cap is a result of GM’s own miscalculations with certain player (Kappenen in AAV and Carter with term) So their 3rd line woes are a direct result of the GM’s own decisions Good article… Read more »
Thanks, Keith. I think you read GMRH’s statements the same way I did. It does seem that a couple of guys have turned off their hearing aid…
Touch to get rid of players when you gave them a no movement clause in their contract. Cough cough Jeff Carter cough cough. The combination of the NMC and it being a 35+ contract makes that the worst contact on the team.
I don’t know… I like Big Jeff… maybe he can spend a few games in the press box with some nachos and a few Bud Lights… then hang with the boys in the room after the win?
Best thing the Pens could do this year is replace Hextal before the trade deadline with someone who is willing to go all in. Late 1st round picks are worth way more as trade capital than actual draft capital. There is no way we draft anyone with our first round pick that helps in the Crosby Era. After it’s all a tear down anyone so may as well go all in for one more.
JR trading Hagelan was one of the worst moves he made as GM. Just to shake up the team, he said. That never works.
I believe Jarry is an UFA after this year — and he has yet to prove that he can stay healthy, or play consistently when he is healthy. I cannot see him suddenly emerging as an elite goalie. CDS is not a starting goalie. Our D play does not help the goalies, but the goalies have not played well this year, except in November, when the entire team played well — not a coincidence. Vastly improving this team this year isn’t likely, but that being the case, maybe trade for an enforcer — they usually come cheap and the Pens… Read more »
C’mon. We’re not that stupid. A third line guy, no matter who that person is, changes nothing. The Pens have (a) zero goaltending, (b) zero physical defensive presence, and (c) deploys a special teams group that rarely changes game momentum (in a positive manner). It is items a-c, above, that are key to playing in the post season. They are so far off, they are not even in a position to mask those glaring deficiencies with regular season goal scoring as – outside of a combination of Crosby, Rakell, and Geuntzel (if there is an empty net around) – no… Read more »