Hextall’s Patience Paying Off for Penguins

I confess. When Vancouver recently hired Jim Rutherford, it made me a bit wistful for the ex-Penguins exec. Purely from a fan’s standpoint, I thoroughly enjoyed his tenure in the ‘burgh.

Now just as then, Rutherford is so wonderfully candid and open. A true breath of fresh air in a sport that seems to value secrecy more than the KGB. When JR was running the Pens, he always kept the pot stirred. And if the team stumbled, even just a bit, you knew a trade was coming. In fact, that was rumored to be the reason he quit so abruptly last January…that he was blocked from making a deal.

Contrasted with current GM Ron Hextall’s measured, methodical approach? Other Rick suggested the “Odd Couple,” with…