How long can the Pittsburgh Penguins go without a complete front office staff?

The Pittsburgh Penguins are three weeks removed from firing Ron Hextall as general manager, and there hasn’t been much noise regarding his replacement since.

Sure, fans will keep tabs on possible candidates like Kyle Dubas and Eric Tulsky, but the Penguins have their own offseason business to take care of.

With the season over for more than half of the NHL, teams have begun the process of building their roster for 2023-24.

The Penguins, on the other hand, don’t have that luxury right now and likely won’t make any big roster decisions until a new general manager is in charge.

But, when will that be? There NHL Draft Lottery is within 72 hours and it’s not clear who will be the main face behind the Penguins first round draft pick.

Of course, the team doesn’t need someone in charge to find out where they are picking in the 2023 Draft, and the possibility of a higher pick might make the job opening more appealing, but how much longer can Fenway Sports Group (FSG) wait?

Some of the fan favorites for the position are still competing in the postseason and depending on who FSG has their eyes on they might be watching their top option well into June.

Does FSG want to wait that long? When asked about that, Dave Beeston of FSG said that they want to be quick but smart.

“We would like to get somebody in sooner than later,” Beeston said. “But without ever compromising quality.”

There doesn’t seem to be any real timetable regarding when a new GM will be hired, nor will there be much information regarding interviews or candidates.

While the Penguins will fly through the Draft Lottery without a complete front office staff, it’s highly unlikely they make it to the actual draft empty handed.

The Penguins still have a scouting staff and a hockey operations group that includes head coach Mike Sullivan; could he step in and make the draft day decisions?

Again, it’s just unlikely; free agency opens up just two days after the draft concludes and the Penguins will want a full-time face making those decisions.

If FSG has their eyes on someone in particular, fans will just have to sit back and wait, but also keep watch of how certain teams bow out of the playoffs.

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