GM Ron Hextall Gives Penguins Fans Bad News Ahead of Trade Deadline
The NHL's Eastern Conference has been a dogfight all season long, with teams jostling and shuffling since the very beginning. The imbalance in the two conferences is undeniable, and chances are high that more than one playoff-calibre team will miss the postseason in the East.
Just how bad is the imbalance?
The Vegas Golden Knights hold the top spot in the Western Conference with 72 points; they would be 7th in the Eastern Conference. There is currently one Western Conference team in a non-playoff position who can be considered a threat - the Calgary Flames.
The East has four, maybe even five if the Ottawa Senators have a strong finish; they are just 5 points out of the playoffs with 27 games to go.
As such, teams jostling for a playoff berth in the East will need to bolster their lineups at the trade deadline, there is simply no other option. The New York Islanders added Bo Horvat, the Rangers added Vladimir Tarasenko and Tyler Motte, Toronto just added Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari, and the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes are neck-and-neck for Timo Meier.
So what is Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall's plan to strengthen his team?
Well, for starters he stated that he is not moving the team's 1st-round pick, which is bad news for Pens fans. Pittsburgh is barely hanging onto a playoff spot as it is, and opting to hang onto their 1st-round pick means they aren't adding anything substantial.
Mark Madden: GM Ron Hextall says he doesn't want to trade the Penguins' first-round draft pick.
But what alternative is there?https://t.co/vtAflGTY9x— Tribune-Review Sports (@TribSports) February 18, 2023
On one hand, the 2023 NHL Entry Draft is a deeply talented one, and the Penguins don't want to miss out on a quality player available later in the draft. Fine, that isn't - in itself - a mistake.
But on the other hand, this team is supposedly built to win now but do not look anywhere close to contending for a Stanley Cup. Especially given just how stacked the Eastern Conference is. If the postseason started today, the Pens would face off against the Carolina Hurricanes.
No one wants to bet against Sidney Crosby, but the Penguins' chances in that series are slim. And that's neglecting the next 27 game stretch, during which Pittsburgh might even miss the playoffs.
Therefore, it is a mistake to hold onto their first-rounder if a sensible trade is to be made, especially one that bolsters the Penguins' blue-line.
| POLL | ||
FÉVRIER 20 | 452 ANSWERS GM Ron Hextall Gives Penguins Fans Bad News Ahead of Trade Deadline Will the Penguins make the playoffs? If so, how far will they go? | ||
| No | 178 | 39.4 % |
| Yes, 1st round exit | 198 | 43.8 % |
| Yes, 2nd round exit | 47 | 10.4 % |
| Yes, Conference Final & beyond | 29 | 6.4 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Patrick Maroon | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Lukas Reichel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Travis Konecny | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Anze Kopitar | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Quinton Byfield | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Noah Cates | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Sean Couturier | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Marcus Johansson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Adrian Kempe | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Matvei Michkov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Martin Pospisil | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Kevin Rooney | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Matthew Boldy | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Bobby Brink | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Kevin Fiala | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Tyson Foerster | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nazem Kadri | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Justin Kirkland | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Daniil Miromanov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 20 | 17 | 3 | - | 34 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||