Ron Hextall cast aside his reputation of being the silent observer who didn’t take many actions yesterday, when he made two major trades to reshape the Penguins’ defense. Within a few hours, the two separate moves made a major impact for the team.
Taken individually, the trades look a bit confounding. Steady John Marino, a 20+ minute defender who is only 25-years old was shipped out to New Jersey for a talented, but floundering blueliner in 22-year old Ty Smith. The Pens also picked up a third round pick, in addition to clearing a significant amount of salary cap space.