My esteemed colleague, Other Rick, has written on numerous occasions that our Penguins needed to blow up their defense and start over. Well my friend, you got your wish.
In a pair of rapid-fire trades that I confess caught me totally by surprise (picture the proverbial ostrich with his head stuck in the ground), GM Ron Hextall gave our blue line corps a significant makeover yesterday. In his first of two stunning deals, he sent John Marino, 25, to New Jersey for Ty Smith, a 22-year-old puck-moving defenseman, and a third-round pick in 2023.