Pens GM Ron Hextall calls out his own players

With the Pittsburgh Penguins still struggling to put together a consistent record coming out of the All-Star break, fans are clamoring to see if general manager Ron Hextall will be making a move or perhaps series of moves as the NHL Trade Deadline right around the corner on March 3. 

For Hextall, he's already made it clear that he's displeased with the inconsistency that his team has shown this season, as they currently are holding on to the final Wild Card postseason spot by the skin of their teeth.

"I think our team has been very inconsistent this year," Hextall said. "I think we've had moments where we've been very good. I think we've had moments where we haven't been very good. … I think that's reflective of a lot of players on our team. We're looking for more consistency from here on through the end of the year individually, across the board.

"We would like to get better. Sometimes getting better would be making a move that maybe is a better fit than what we have. When I look at our team on paper, I like our team. When I look at some of the games and results, I don't like it as much." 

Hextall also was quick to call out some his bottom six forwards, who have produced a total of 34.4 percent of the total team offense. Among those skating in the bottom six include the likes of Jeff Carter, Kasperi Kapanen, and Brock McGinn. 

"I think when you look at our top players, for the most part, they've performed well," Hextall said. "I think some of our role players need to be better at times, and we certainly expect them to be.

"I think it's fair to say the chemistry [with the bottom-six forwards] hasn't been what we hoped. There are times I think where we had some chemistry down there, but I think, over the course of the year, the chemistry hasn't been that great. Chemistry is a tough thing to define when you're talking about a line or a hockey team or a defense or a forward group, but you can kind of feel it and see it when it's there. That's somewhere we can look to hopefully improve." 

Pens fans, does a deal need to be made in order to try and get more consistency out of the team while the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still playing?