The Penguins found an able executive in Ron Hextall but a daunting task awaits in Pittsburgh

The big question when Jim Rutherford pulled the chute midseason was what would happen next. Or rather, what the Pittsburgh Penguins organization wanted to happen next.

There are few teams that are ever so clearly at a crossroads when beginning a search for a new general manager. Sidney Crosby — who in 2005, I don't know if you heard about this, was almost drafted by Pittsburgh's new president of hockey ops Brian Burke — is 33. Yevgeni Malkin is 34. Kris Letang is 33. The last two guys have only this season and next remaining on their contracts.

And let's face it: The returns are diminishing, but Crosby and Malkin, and to a lesser extent Letang, have long been good enough that it kinda didn't matter.

But now, maybe it's starting to matter. Because the Penguins, for a litany of reasons, look li