Sheary is back on line with Crosby
LOS ANGELES — For the most part, it was an “easy transition” for Conor Sheary.
One of his linemates Tuesday at Toyota Performance Center was Sidney Crosby, a superhuman he has skated with before. The guy blowing the whistle during his back-to-back Cup runs with the Penguins is still around, barking out instructions to some familiar drills. His old No. 43 was waiting for him when he arrived.
Really, the only thing that felt awkward was the stiff, new gear he strapped on.
“I think the equipment part, that will be a little tough,” Sheary said with a chuckle. “I had to break in all new equipment today. But that’s a good thing, I guess.”
The Penguins re-acquired Sheary and acquired fellow forward Evan Rodrigues from the Buffalo Sabres for Dominik Kahun before the trade deadline Monday. Sheary, 27, indicated he knew there was a chance the Sabres might trade him.
“I was obviously excited. There was a lot of anxiety that went into [deadline day]. I was just waiting for a phone call,” he said. “When I found out it was Pitt, I was super excited. I get to come back to a familiar place with familiar faces.”
General manager Jim Rutherford said Monday that he never wanted to get rid of Sheary, but due to limited salary-cap space two summers ago, the Penguins, looking to lock up others, chose to send Sheary to Buffalo.
The winger, who will hit free agency after this season, had 23 goals and 30 assists in 133 games for the Sabres, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2010-11. While Sheary’s two years with the Sabres would probably be considered at least a mild disappointment by both parties, he said he grew during his time there.
“They’re a young team that has to learn a lot. But they have a ton of skill and they’re on the right track,” he said. “When I [debuted in Pittsburgh], we were already a contender. Just the difference in that was a big learning experience for me and how to handle both situations. And I’ll take a lot from my experience.”
Back on a contender again, Sheary was all smiles Tuesday at Toyota Performance Center, the practice rink for the Los Angeles Kings. Being put back on a line with Crosby, with whom he created some big playoff moments, likely helped.
“He’s obviously an easy guy to play with, with his skill set and the player he’s been his whole career,” Sheary said.”
Fresh start
Rodrigues, Sheary’s teammate in Buffalo, might have been more pumped because this season has been a trying one for the 26-year-old forward.
After often playing significant minutes for the Sabres last season, he was a healthy scratch for the 2019-20 opener. New coach Ralph Krueger never seemed to warm to him. Rodrigues was a healthy scratch 24 times and reportedly requested a trade. He did not mind getting a fresh start.
“I went through the roof,” he said. “When you come to a storied franchise like this, with the success they’ve had in recent years, it’s obviously an exciting time.”
Rodrigues, who skated on a line with Patrick Marleau and Dominik Simon, is pumped to make his Penguins debut against the Kings.
Moves please Sullivan
Coach Mike Sullivan praised general manager Jim Rutherford, saying the Penguins are “real excited” to add Sheary, Marleau and Rodrigues to their lineup.
“We feel like we’re a better team today,” Sullivan said. “[Rutherford] always seems to find ways to make us more competitive and give us an opportunity to contend. So, we’re real excited about the group that we’ve assembled here.”
Tuesday, Sheary skated with Crosby and Jason Zucker. Evgeni Malkin was between Bryan Rust and Patric Hornqvist. Marleau and Rodrigues skated on a line with Simon. And Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev remained together.
“All the guys that we acquired, we feel strongly that they can play the style of play we’re trying to play,” Sullivan said. “They’re all versatile. … We can move them up and down the lineup depending on what our needs are. I’m sure we’ll explore some of the different combinations.”
That didn’t last long
After adding three new forwards at the trade deadline, the Penguins sent rookies Sam Lafferty and Anthony Angello back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Monday. Lafferty lingered there for only one day. Tuesday, after he practiced with their American Hockey League club, the Penguins recalled him on an emergency basis. So Lafferty, who has played in 46 NHL games this season, is on the way to L.A. Jared McCann did not practice Tuesday, leaving them a forward short. He was spotted on an exercise bike after practice.