Ron Hextall made it clear shortly before he was hired in February that he wanted to add some size and muscle to the Penguins' lineup.
That hasn't changed.
But that doesn't mean he's particularly confident that it will happen anytime soon. Training camp will start with physicals and photos on Sept. 22, and the regular season begins Oct. 12 Tampa. That means Hextall still has plenty of time to make the Penguins bigger and tougher. Whether he has the salary-cap space and/or qualified candidates to fill such a role in the short term is a different matter.
"It's a good question, and I don't know the answer (about) whether it's realistic or not," he said Thursday. "I like to think it is and we'll certainly try. We'll have to let the actions speak. Sometimes, things come available and sometimes, they don't. It's hard to predict."
The emphasis Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke placed on making the Penguins bigger and more physical was applauded by much of the fan base, but the failure to act yet on that desire has spawned considerable criticism from outside the organization.
How many of those harsh words Hextall has heard is hard to say, but he is adamant that he doesn't let the yelps of discontent affect how he approaches his duties.
'"I've always tried, even as a player, not to listen to the howls," he said. "You have to do what you think it best for the organization. That's always been my philosophy. Whether as a player or a manager, you have to do what you think is best for the organization, obviously, with your hockey people."
The Penguins' major offseason additions have been forwards Brock McGinn and Danton Heinen; their personnel losses have included Cody Ceci, Brandon Tanev and Jared McCann. Their moves have left them with a bit more than $120,000 in salary-cap space, based on a 23-man roster that includes Evgeni Malkin, who is recovering from knee surgery.
Hextall said the team plans to offer an update on Malkin's recovery around the start of camp, but said that placing him on the Long-Term Injured list, which could provide some salary-cap relief but would compel Malkin to sit out at least 10 games and 24 days, is "certainly something that we've talked about." That suggests the Penguins are prepared for at least the possibility of being without him for a significant chunk of the season.
It's a given that Malkin won't be involved when training-camp drills begin Sept. 23, but Hextall estimated that "52 to 55" players will be. The precise makeup of the camp roster likely won't be settled for a while, and the same is true of the way in which camp will be conducted. Hextall said the Penguins plan to hold a "regular camp" -- which is to say, one like those conducted in the days before COVID-19 -- but acknowledged that developments with the pandemic could force them to make adjustments.
"We understand that we have to be adaptable there, just in case some things change," he said. "These days, you plan in pencil."
Camp will be preceded by what Hextall called a "rookie/development camp" that will get underway Sept. 18.
That will give Hextall and his staff an opportunity to familiarize themselves with some of the younger players in the organization, guys they didn't get to see much of last season because of pandemic-related restrictions.
"I don't know a lot of our young players that well, the (Drew) O'Connors and (Filip) Hallanders and (Samuel) Poulins and (Nathan) Legares. (Kasper) Bjorkqvist. So I'm very interested, actually, to see those guys, to see what they can do. (Radim) Zohorna, we got a pretty good sneak peek at him last year and we're pretty excited about him, but those other kids, I don't know them as well as I would in past years."
