The most bold move Ron Hextall could make before the NHL trade deadline Monday at 3 p.m. might be to ... make no moves.
That wouldn't necessarily be evidence that he believes the Penguins have constructed an guaranteed contender with no significant blemishes -- hey, he watches the games, too -- but it would be a unmistakeable statement of confidence in the personnel on hand, something no player currently on the payroll could misinterpret.
it could suggest that Hextall believes Kasperi Kapanen's improved play of late -- and the goal he scored during the Penguins' 4-1 victory over the Coyotes Saturday -- will prove to be a pivotal point in 2021-22 for Kapanen, and not just a blissful spasm of competence in what has been mostly a hellscape of a season.