The most bold move Ron Hextall could make before the NHL trade deadline Monday at 3 p.m. might be to ... make no moves.
That wouldn't necessarily be evidence that he believes the Penguins have constructed a guaranteed contender with no significant blemishes -- hey, he watches the games, too -- but it would be an unmistakeable statement of confidence in the personnel on hand, something no player currently on the payroll could misinterpret.
it could suggest that Hextall believes Kasperi Kapanen's improved play of late -- and the goal he scored during the Penguins' 4-1 victory over the Coyotes Saturday in Glendale, Ariz. -- will prove to be a pivotal point in 2021-22 for Kapanen, and not just a blissful spasm of competence in what has been mostly a hellscape of a season.
That Hextall feels Bryan Rust is, indeed, the winger needed to jump-start Evgeni Malkin and, in the process, infuse the Penguins with some desperately needed offense from outside of the No. 1 line. Heck, he might even think that if Malkin and Kapanen are reunited at some point, they could recapture the chemistry they shared last season.
That Hextall thinks the defense corps, which emphasizes skating and efficient puck movement, can get by without adding a significant physical presence, the kind of guy who can prompt any opponent inclined to hover near the Penguins' net to keep his orthopedic surgeon on speed-dial.
So, will Hextall, whose only move at the deadline last season was to bring in Jeff Carter from Los Angeles, really settle for the players he has?
Maybe, although he probably will at least try to add a little depth on defense or the bottom two lines.
That's because attrition is inevitable for any club that hangs around the Stanley Cup playoffs for more than a few games, so having capable replacements for injured players is imperative. A promising run can be scuttled if such guys aren't available when needed.
As always, the deadline is not a time to shop for bargains, although it's possible to turn up a reasonably priced acquisition -- Carter comes immediately to mind -- if a team has done some thorough scouting. And gets lucky.
Sale prices around the league in recent days have been typically. exorbitant -- Florida, for example, sent a quality prospect (Owen Tippett), a first-round draft choice in 2024 and a third-rounder in 2023 to the Flyers for the right to rent 34-year-old Claude Giroux for the stretch drive and playoffs, along with a handful of trinkets and beads -- and the Penguins can't afford to part with a meaningful chunk of their future. Mostly because that was standard operating procedure for a decade-plus before Hextall succeeded Jim Rutherford as GM in February, 2021.
And then there is the matter of salary-cap space, of which the Penguins seem to have, basically, none. Especially if they expect Jason Zucker, currently on the Long Term Injured list, to return from core-muscle surgery before the end of the regular season.
Hextall could, of course, sweeten his offer to any potential trading partner in an effort to persuade the other club to retain up to 50 percent a targeted player's salary. He also could open some cap space by including a player or two off the major-league roster in any deal he would make, although that would seem to be at cross-purposes with management's primary objective of making a move, which is to fortify his lineup for the postseason.
Hextall, Brian Burke and their staff have been preparing for the deadline for weeks, if not longer, so they likely decided a while ago which players would be worth pursuing. So far, the front office has been able to keep any plans it might have in stealth mode.
Whether the Penguins' play during the three-game road trip that ended Saturday will have any impact on Hextall's decisions is hard to say, but if it does, it might lessen any urgency he was feeling to make changes. The Penguins went 2-1, with victories in St. Louis and Arizona after a loss in Nashville. They outplayed the Blues and Coyotes, and held up well against St. Louis and the Predators, large teams that play the kind of heavy game that has given the Penguins problems at times in 2021-22.
"Overall, it was a pretty good trip," Sidney Crosby said. "We played the right way and have to take that back home with us."
One issue of late that Hextall almost certainly will not consider addressing is the power play, which can be fearsome when it is in synch but has scored just once in its past 24 chances.
"Our power play had some chances. ... If we just find a way to bury it, that's going to give us a big boost," Crosby said.
Properly channeling the considerable talents of members of the No. 1 unit, who are chronically prone to overpassing, would be a start. So would having more of a presence around the crease, forcing goaltenders to stop shots they don't see.
The Penguins and Rangers are nestled behind the first-place Hurricanes and ahead of the Capitals, so a finish anywhere from first to fourth in the Metropolitan Division is conceivable as the season moves into its final quarter.
"I think we're in a good spot right now, but we have to continue to get better," Crosby said. "I think everyone is really going to look to improve here in the last 20 games, with the playoffs getting fairly close."
The Penguins have to get better, because they recognize that the teams around them in the standings almost certainly will.
Of course, those clubs likely are aware that the Penguins have established themselves as a formidable opponent, even as they continue to search for the complementary scoring that has largely dried up in recent weeks.
"We're tough to play against, especially when each line that goes over the boards is doing the same thing," Crosby said. "We bring a lot of pressure. That's our game. We're playing good hockey. The biggest thing that separates most teams at this point is just consistency. Everyone knows what their game looks like. It's just a matter of bringing that same thing every night, regardless of who you are playing."
Or who is playing for you.
