CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Conor Sheary might be on the way out, and he seems to grasp that.
Speaking after the Penguins' practice Thursday morning at the Lemieux Sports Complex, he acknowledged feeling the effects of hearing and reading his name connected to the NHL trade deadline at 3 p.m. Monday.
"I think it's kind of a hard time of the year," Sheary said. "I think, mentally, you have a lot of thoughts go through your head. At the end of the day, it's part of the business. If something does happen, it's for the betterment of the team. It may even be yourself. You've just got to take it in stride, keep moving forward."
As for whether he's had any indication that he could be traded: "I know about as much as you guys do. I read stuff online. I see whatever's on my Twitter. I don't go looking for it or listen to radio or watch any shows or anything like that. Like I said, whatever happens happens. It's out of our control. We just play."
Sheary, 25, contributed to the Penguins' two recent Stanley Cup championships, scoring six goals in 45 games over those two playoffs, most prominently the overtime goal in Game 2 of the 2016 Final against the Sharks. He had 23 goals and 30 assists in 61 regular-season games in 2016-17 and currently has 12 goals and 10 assists in 58 games.
Mike Sullivan's use of Sheary has fluctuated from first line to fourth, which also precisely describes the demotion Thursday at practice, when he was alternating with Ryan Reaves as the fourth-line winger alongside Zach Aston-Reese and Carter Rowney. That would appear to make Sheary, with one goal in his past 17 games, the odd man out.
Add that and the three-year, $9 million contract he signed before this season, and he might be the odd man out in the broader sense, too. Jim Rutherford is right against the salary cap, and he'll need to move money to take on any above-average NHL player.