Ron Hextall Under Fire For Ridiculous Near-Trade

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Ryan Fiore
April 4, 2023 (5:30 PM)

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Penguins GM Ron Hextall has once again found himself in the hot seat after it was revealed that he made an attempt to trade one of the Penguins' star players this season at the trade deadline this year.

Trade Talks

According to hockey insider Frank Seravalli, Hextall allegedly tried to offload Jason Zucker ahead of the tradeline. Zucker has 26 goals and 20 assists this season.

The potential trade leaves Penguins fans up in arms about what their GM was thinking, as it was revealed that Hextall stated he wasn't willing to give up a first round pick.

It also leaves fans wondering why Hextall wasn't willing to give up a first round pick to acquire star defenseman Jacob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes before he was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a conditional 2023 first round pick, a conditional 2024 second round pick, and a 2026 second round pick.

Penguins Fans Want Him Gone

While the trade didn't occur, this certainly isn't the first time fans have called for Hextall's firing this season.

Many expressed anger after Hextall's acquisitions at this year's trade deadline.

The first acquisition came when Hextall traded a 2023 second round pick to the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward Mikael Granlund, who holds a $5M contract. Since being traded to the Penguins, Granlund has 1 goal and 3 assists, adding to his 9 goals and 27 assists with the Predators this season.

The second acquisition was made when the Anaheim Ducks traded defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to the Penguins in exchange for Brock McGinn and a 2024 third round pick. Kulikov added only one assist to his 3 goals and 13 assists with the Ducks this season before being injured 4 games into his Penguins career.

The last move, and least brutal in my opinion, made by Hextall was bringing back former Penguin Nick Bonino in a trade that sent San Jose a 2023 7th round pick. Bonino was suffered a lacerated kidney in his third game back with Pittsburgh. Both he and Kulikov have yet to return to the ice.

Some have even gone as far to speculate that Hextall is an insider working for his former team and Penguins rival, the Philadelphia Flyers, and is trying to tear the Penguins limb from limb.

Hextall's First Mistake

Fans calling for Hextall's head has gone as far back as the 2021 offseason, where forward Jared McCann was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2023 7th round pick (yes, you read that right) and Filip Hallander, a former Penguins prospect.

Fans have speculated that Hextall likely traded McCann so he could protect then 36 year old Jeff Carter from the expansion draft over then 25 year old McCann.

As a result, the Toronto Maple Leafs failed to protect McCann in Seattle's expansion draft, leading to Seattle GM and former Penguin Ron Francis to claim him. McCann currently sits at 37 goals and 25 assists in 73 games this season.

Ouch for the Penguins.

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