Ryan Wilson: Hextall gaining ground in GM search Hextall gaining ground in GM search

Stop the search and hire Hextall now!!! Dont F this up Mario make it happen!

As a Flyers fan, my reaction to the Pens hiring Hextall would be summarized by one word: yuck.

Translation: I think Hexy would be a good hire for the Pens, and so I hope they don't wind up choosing him.

Frank Seravalli
@frank_seravalli
·
9m
Ron Hextall has been offered the GM job of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Two sides are talking numbers at this point, but it’s possible that a handshake agreement is in place as soon as today. #TSN

GMRW is just pissed that he isn't getting a call back from the Pens FO.

GMRW is just pissed that he isn't getting a call back from the Pens FO.
- TheBrownListerine

His resume is pretty impressive:
- Beloved hockey writer at the reputable Hockeybuzz.com
- Strengths include: quickly being able to find advanced stats. Opinions are never wrong
- Weaknesses include: Jack Johnson

Frank Seravalli
@frank_seravalli
·
9m
Ron Hextall has been offered the GM job of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Two sides are talking numbers at this point, but it’s possible that a handshake agreement is in place as soon as today. #TSN
- kfinl170

Bingo! Fuucckkkiiinnn rights!!!!

I heard a couple of guys talking about Futa. I was kinda rooting for him. Marshall was singing his praises yesterday.

Could do worse than Hextall I guess. Still feels weird. Pens should bring in Robbie Brown to welcome him into the building.

I heard a couple of guys talking about Futa. I was kinda rooting for him. Marshall was singing his praises yesterday.

Could do worse than Hextall I guess. Still feels weird. Pens should bring in Robbie Brown to welcome him into the building.
- madmike71

Hextall, Gilman and Futa would have all been good gets. Hextall with the experience that’s why he was my choice from hour 1.

@madmike

In all seriousness if I hired hextall I would have a welcome vid that starts off legit then goes Into that scene. I also have a sensée of humour many ppl don’t like lol

Hextall, Gilman and Futa would have all been good gets. Hextall with the experience that’s why he was my choice from hour 1.
- pens4life-66

I like this team. I'm not as down as some others. I think they can be a contender with some systemic adjustments. I'm starting to see some guys coming around, but we really need to stay healthy. Tending still scares me.

As far as Hextall goes.... I'm sure ownership has let him know this isn't a rebuild yet, so yeah, I like his experience.

Marshall said something about Futa that really made me like him. He said Futa insists on players having good "hockey awareness". In other words, Mike Matheson wouldn't be a Penguin. I can't remember the exact stat, but he said tons of players Futa has helped draft have gotten to the NHL.

Hextall was definitely the best option out of established GM free agents. I'm happy with the pick. Would have been happy with MacFarland as a high upside guy too, but can't fault the owners for going with a safer but still good option. Would be cool to poach MacFarland for an assistant position. We need to completely rebuild the FO and there is a wide open spot for first lieutenant.

@madmike

In all seriousness if I hired hextall I would have a welcome vid that starts off legit then goes Into that scene. I also have a sensée of humour many ppl don’t like lol
- 10inchTerror

I've read Hextall doesn't exactly have much of a sense of humor. So yeah, they should definitely do that.

Hextall was definitely the best option out of established GM free agents. I'm happy with the pick. Would have been happy with MacFarland as a high upside guy too, but can't fault the owners for going with a safer but still good option. Would be cool to poach MacFarland for an assistant position. We need to completely rebuild the FO and there is a wide open spot for first lieutenant.
- Victoro311

Isn't Futa also a free agent? Like I said, we need to completely rebuild our FO. Offer him an assistant GM spot.

EDIT: Quoted the wrong post. Oops.

Hextall was definitely the best option out of established GM free agents. I'm happy with the pick. Would have been happy with MacFarland as a high upside guy too, but can't fault the owners for going with a safer but still good option. Would be cool to poach MacFarland for an assistant position. We need to completely rebuild the FO and there is a wide open spot for first lieutenant.
- Victoro311

1 huge plus for hiring Hextall is that I know he is very well respected around the league which helps hire a good management team around him. He worked with Futa with the kings when they won the cup in 2012 there together before Hextall went to Philly. Both apparently very smart hockey minds.

I gotta tell ya, I’ve never really thought of Hextall as Xanax...

But he is pretty methodical with team building.

He’s gonna gut your team, Pens fans, but you’ll be much better for it in a few years. No more patch jobs. You should hope you catch lightning in a bottle again with Sid this year, because he’s gonna make some moves to rebuild that farm from the ground up.

If it makes you feel any better, much like yourselves, the Flyers had the worst ranked minor league system depth in the NHL when he took over. Two years later it was decent. Three years later it was top 5. Many ranked it top 2. Trust me, I checked a lot, because we sucked and I needed to feel better.

The man deserves another shot. He knows what he’s doing. Lombardi gave him a ton of credit for building the Kings. The Flyers never gave him the chance that he got in LA to add FAs and complete the project.

Isn't Futa also a free agent? Like I said, we need to completely rebuild our FO. Offer him an assistant GM spot.

EDIT: Quoted the wrong post. Oops.
- Victoro311

Yes, he's available. Would be nice if they bring him in with Hextall.

I hope to see Hextall fall on his face there, but yeah, I don’t think he will. Not at all. Love Hexy, but the last places I wanted to see him were NY, NJ, or Pitt. Ugh.


I know how much your defense has been bothering you guys, and trust me, that’s gonna be his first point of business. He’s probably already tapping his foot rapidly with his arms crossed just thinking about it. It’s gonna take some clever maneuvering. Maybe even some stuff that appears to be a loss, but I bet it’s necessary.


Just...be patient. Don’t pick at it. Let the scab do it’s thing. It’ll heal good as new if you just leave it alone.

Getting back to Matheson's potential departure...

My guess is that if we are able to unload him, it will be in the expansion draft. But what assets will go with him? That is the real question... Going to be a lot more than a 2nd...

I gotta tell ya, I’ve never really thought of Hextall as Xanax...

But he is pretty methodical with team building.

He’s gonna gut your team, Pens fans, but you’ll be much better for it in a few years. No more patch jobs. You should hope you catch lightning in a bottle again with Sid this year, because he’s gonna make some moves to rebuild that farm from the ground up.

If it makes you feel any better, much like yourselves, the Flyers had the worst ranked minor league system depth in the NHL when he took over. Two years later it was decent. Three years later it was top 5. Many ranked it top 2. Trust me, I checked a lot, because we sucked and I needed to feel better.

The man deserves another shot. He knows what he’s doing. Lombardi gave him a ton of credit for building the Kings. The Flyers never gave him the chance that he got in LA to add FAs and complete the project.
- Hesh_

Thanks for the skinny!

Hextall is official and Brian Burke will be President of Hockey Opps.

Brian Burke president of hockey ops! With Hextall as GM!!!

Brian f'n Burke haha oh man. Not a fan.

Question though...what does his position do exactly?

I like this team. I'm not as down as some others. I think they can be a contender with some systemic adjustments. I'm starting to see some guys coming around, but we really need to stay healthy. Tending still scares me.

As far as Hextall goes.... I'm sure ownership has let him know this isn't a rebuild yet, so yeah, I like his experience.

Marshall said something about Futa that really made me like him. He said Futa insists on players having good "hockey awareness". In other words, Mike Matheson wouldn't be a Penguin. I can't remember the exact stat, but he said tons of players Futa has helped draft have gotten to the NHL.
- madmike71

God I hope he joins the Pens in some manner or another. To me, this is the biggest oversight of JR. Just because a guy has a lot of skill and is highly touted doesn't mean he has the brain for the NHL. I have no doubt that guys like JJ and Matheson have better hockey skills than about half of the NHL. But if your thought processes and/or the speed at which you process these thoughts is faulty, there is no "fixing" these players.

Truculence incoming

Belligerence and Testosterone also on the radar