As training camp begins the fight for the final spot on the Pittsburgh Penguins blue line begins. Which of PO Joseph, Mark Friedman, or Ty Smith will earn that spot? Year three of the Ron Hextall and Brian Burke era with the Pittsburgh Penguins is the first that they have made a significant mark on the organization. The Penguins front office duo were much more active this summer than in their first with the organization, leaving plenty of room for judgment. The length of the contracts given out by the Penguins this summer was vastly different from 2021. Six-year contracts were given to Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell, while Evgeni Malkin signed a four-year extension on the eve of free agency. Hextall previously had only signed one contract for more than two seasons, Brock McGinn. The term in those agreements allowed for the average salary cap hit to decrease, but locking in older players for that many years could pose a problem in the future. In some instances, like with Letang and Rust, it is worth the risk considering the success both have found in Pittsburgh, including career high's in points for both players in 2021-22. However, a longer-term deal based on a small sample size, such as Rakell, could be risky, considering he has only played 19 games in a Penguins uniform. Others look to the re-signing of Kasperi Kapanen as the worst deal of the off-season. Kapanen was a restricted free agent coming off the most disappointing season of his career, 32 points (11-21) in 79 games. Hextall signed Kapanen back for two more seasons at the same price out of hope that the 26-year-old forward will return to form in 2022-23. The summer of 2022 provided small changes to the Penguins roster, but the main pieces are returning for another shot at the Stanley Cup. With training camp underway and the offseason in the past, it's time to see how Hextall's work pays off. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFHHguvlh9E[/embed] Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Sidney Crosby Was 'Sweating' During Penguins Negotiations with Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/sidney-crosby-sweating-pittsburgh-penguins-kris-letang-evgeni-malkin] Winning Stands Over Big Three Retirement for Penguins Sidney Crosby [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/winning-tall-pittsburgh-penguins-sidney-crosby] Three Under-The-Radar Penguins Prospects [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/under-radar-pittsburgh-penguins-prospects] Valtteri Puustinen Built to Impress This Season With Penguins [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/valtteri-puustinen-breakout-pittsburgh-penguins] * undefined * undefined