We all know the narrative regarding Ron Hextall’s brief tenure as the Penguins’ general manager. In the eyes of many, Hexy single-handedly brought the black-and-gold to their present low state. One scribe went as far as to describe his 26-month run as GM a “reign of error.”
While there’s no disputing the fact that Hextall made his share of blunders, if we’re going to excoriate him for his mistakes then we also need to credit him for the things he did right.
What brought this on, you ask?
I was pondering the dual successes of top-line wingers Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust, both of whom enjoyed career seasons, when a light bulb turned on.