Ron Hextall Trades Still Dragging Penguins Down
Ron Hextall had a major impact on the Pittsburgh Penguins this past season.
Kyle Dubas' first season in charge of the Pittsburgh Penguins unfolded similarly to Ron Hextall's last as general manager. The Penguins missed the postseason both years, finishing with the 14th overall selection in the NHL Draft and facing massive questions as the summer begins.
Despite Dubas turning over a large portion of the Penguins roster, the impact of Hextall's moves still reverberates through the organization. But which trade executed by Hextall impacted the current iteration of the Penguins the most?
There are a handful that immediately jump to mind. But with the Penguins firing top defensive assistant Todd Reirden last week, it's hard to look anywhere besides the John Marino trade.
The Penguins traded Marino to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Ty Smith and a third-round pick. Marino was the Penguins' second-pair defenseman behind Kris Letang and was establishing himself as a quality NHL defenseman at just 24 years old.
Hextall chose to dismantle the Penguins defense core following their first-round exit at the hands of the New York Rangers in 2022. After starting with Marino, Hextall dealt Mike Matheson that same day for Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling.
Since those trades, the Penguins have plummeted from ninth in expected goals allowed per 60 minutes to 19th and 17th in the past two seasons. None of the players acquire in those trades, or the Devils' third-round pick, remain with the Penguins today.
The Hextall front office made more than a few gaffs over their short tenure, but the mess created on defense may still take a few seasons to undo.
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