Ron Hextall deserves credit for having a tremendous offseason

In an offseason where many players and fans believed the team would finally take a step back, Hextall has managed to drag the team forwards.

Heading into the summer, the team had UFA's such as Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Casey DeSmith, Kasperi Kapanen, Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust who Hextall has managed to all re-sign on good cheap contracts.

NHL Network's Jamison Coyle and Mike Rupp both love the deals Hextall has made and believe the Pens are going to run it back "one more time."

The team also added veteran defenceman Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling, solidifying their already strong blue line. The team may be aging but who's one to count out a team that has Crosby on it.