Penguins' GM Hextall not in a rush ahead of trade deadline

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ron Hextall doesn't sound like a man in a hurry to make a deal.

The Pittsburgh Penguins general manager said Friday he is happy with his team's depth and while he will search for moves that make sense by the NHL's March 21 trade deadline, he's not in a rush with the Penguins firmly in playoff position with less than two months to go in the regular season.

“Would we like to add a little bit up front? Yeah, that would be a fair statement,” Hextall said. "But I feel good. I don’t feel like I have to do anything. But if we can get better, we’re certainly going to try.”

Hextall inherited a talented roster but a somewhat depleted prospect pool a year ago when he was hired to replace Jim Rutherford. He's made an effort to bolster that pool while surrounding stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang — all in their mid-30s — with enough talent to keep the franchise's Stanley Cup window open.

To make any sort of splash by the deadline would likely require parting with the few high-end prospects who are on the cusp of the NHL — such as defenseman P.O. Joseph, or a first-round draft pick, which they've had just one of since 2014. It's not exactly a route Hextall seems particularly willing to go down.

The Penguins are also tight against the salary cap, meaning they may have to give up an expensive asset to get one. That may be easier said than done at the moment. Enigmatic forward Kasperi Kapanen, with a $3.2 million contract, has just nine goals in 57 games this season and was demoted during a loss to Florida on Tuesday night.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan demurred when asked if Kapanen would be in the lineup for Friday night's visit by Vegas, saying only that all players available would be game-time