Ron Hextall will be the next general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins. If that wasn't weird enough there is also a new president of hockey operations and this name came out of nowhere

The Penguins have named Ron Hextall as general manager and Brian Burke as president of hockey operations.

Full details: https://t.co/gBGqDIMMql pic.twitter.com/0pzDJvwynH

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 9, 2021

Yeah, can't say I'm a huge fan of the Brian Burke hire. He is full of a lot of bravado and jargon like truculence. He's certainly not going to want to lean into progressive tactics. The Penguins need all options available and I think this hire shuts some of those doors. Burke's thought process:

“Stats are like a lamppost to a drunk, useful for support but not illumination”

I think Sam should go as a lamp post for Halloween now.


One thing I will say about Brian Burke has always understood the value of having superstars. He is the one former GM who might love a huge trade even more than Jim Rutherford. He acquired the Sedins in Vancouver, Niedermayer/Pronger in Anaheim, and Kessel in Toronto (obviously overpaid). He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who will rush to get rid of Crosby, Malkin, or Letang. So you have a little bit of a ying and yang approach with Ron Hextall being the less active manager. It feels like Burke will have a big role in the now part of things while Hextall can rebuild the carnage after. Although, Hextall did have this to say about his builder reputation.

Hextall knows his builder’s rep but says he’s focused on making the team as good as possible this year. "I’m not a one-trick pony."

— Sean Gentille (@seangentille) February 9, 2021

What does Burke think about how the Penguins built their team? He doesn't think too highly!

Brian Burke on the Penguins in 2012. He was right! pic.twitter.com/RyChCy1dJL

— Sean Gentille (@seangentille) February 9, 2021

Oh and there's more

Hell yes pic.twitter.com/coRzEapnuf

— I Hate My Favourite Teams (@CarcelMousineau) February 9, 2021

Doesn't sound like somebody who thinks the team is close and will sit on their hands.

Much like how Jim Rutherford was addicted to acquiring former first round picks it appears David Morehouse has an addiction to big names. He went with Rutherford the last time and this time he has doubled up with Burke and Hextall. I think the Burke Hextall combo has a better chance of doing something helpful than if Rutherford had stayed around. It is still bizarre to have Burke coming on board. I think Mike Gillis as a president of hockey operations would be been a more progressive hire and one that would have been more open to more ideas.

All I know is the rest of the hockey world will have their popcorn out and will enjoy watching all of this unfold wherever it goes because even the people in charge don't know

Ron Hextall, when asked about building around Malkin and Crosby, says they want to build around them now. But...

“I can’t tell you what’s coming our way. I can’t. To be definitive in a direction … in my interviews, we talked about all kinds of scenarios.”

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) February 9, 2021

TRUCULENCE 4 LIFE.

Thanks for reading!

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