Red Wings send Sheahan to Penguins

Oct 22, 2017 - 7:33 PM The Detroit Red Wings traded center Riley Sheahan to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday in exchange for forward Scott Wilson.

The teams also swapped 2018 draft choices, with Detroit receiving a third-round pick from Pittsburgh and sending a fifth-round selection back to the Penguins.

In a separate deal, the Red Wings shipped defenseman Ryan Sproul to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Matt Puempel.

Sheahan, a first-round draft pick of the Red Wings in 2010 (No. 21 overall), slumped badly in 2016-17 and the struggles carried over to this season.

The 25-year-old Sheahan scored only twice last season -- with both goals coming in the team's final game -- and finished with only 13 points in 80 games. He has failed to register a point in eight games this season.

The 6-foot-3, 214-pound Sheahan had a career-best 36 points in 2014-15 and followed that up by netting a career-high 14 goals in 81 games the following season. He missed only six games over the past three years.

Still, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins have been searching for a third-line center since Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen left via free agency in the offseason.

"He's a heavy guy, he can play against other teams' top guys, he can play against bigger, stronger guys," said Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford of Sheahan.

Wilson, a seventh-round pick in 2011 by the Penguins, appeared in 78 games with Pittsburgh last season and set career highs with eight goals and 26 assists.

In three games this season, Wilson did not have a point and was a minus-2. He played in 24 games in 2015-16, notching five goals and one assist.

Puempel, a first-round draft pick of Ottawa in 2011 who was playing with the team's American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford, was claimed off waivers by the Rangers last season. He had six goals and nine points in 27 games with New York after going scoreless in 13 games with the Senators in 2016-17.

Sproul had one goal and seven points in 27 games with the Red Wings last season. He was a second-round pick of the club in the 2011 draft.