After another early playoff elimination, some Pittsburgh Penguins supporters want the team to blow up, but general manager Ron Hextall reaffirmed this week that he has no interest in moving any of the 'Big 3'.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang have been teammates for over a decade and have combined to win three Stanley Cups. The trio wishes to retire in Pittsburgh together, and it appears like they will be able to do so. Hextall met with the media and stated the following on the franchise's future:
"We see a future with this core. These guys have been here a long time. We had a good year. It certainly didn't give me pause to think about what we should do with this core. It certainly didn't give me pause to think about what we should do with this core. Of course we'd like to add a little bit of size, a little bit of toughness. Yes, it would be nice. But there's not a lot out there. We'll look at what's there this summer and we'll make adjustments. But if we go into next season with this group we're comfortable. We're comfortable with our team. We had a real good regular season and played well in the playoffs. That doesn't mean we won't look to get better. You always look to get better. If we can find ways to tweak things and get better, we will"
The Penguins will be a fascinating team to follow, since going out to the trade market to fill a specific need may sometimes lead to larger discussions. There will undoubtedly be plenty of trade speculation around the Penguins this offseason. Just don't expect 87, 71, or 58 to be among them.
