Ron Hextall doesn't know whether he'll be able to keep the core of the Penguins' roster intact after this season.
However, he made it clear Thursday, one day after reaching agreement on a two-year contract with 37-year-old center Jeff Carter, that that is his objective, at least for now.
Even as he acknowledged that doing so might not turn out to be realistic.
"They certainly proved to us that this is a group that wants to move forward and wants to try to win," Hextall said after the Penguins' optional game-day skate at PPG Paints.