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Daniel Winnik traded to Penguins from Maple Leafs

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be hoping Daniel Winnik can further improve their fifth-ranked penalty-kill down the stretch.

General manager Jim Rutherford on Wednesday acquired Winnik, a pending unrestricted free-agent forward, from the Toronto Maple Leafs with the NHL’s March 2 trade deadline looming.

In return, the Maple Leafs receive forward Zach Sill, Pittsburgh's second-round draft pick in 2016 and a fourth-rounder in this June's draft.

Winnik, 29, has seven goals and 25 points in 58 games this season, his first in Toronto after signing a one-year free-agent deal last summer.

"His play put him in a position where he was wanted and put us in a position to get some quality assets back," Leafs general manager Dave Nonis said of Winnik on a conference call.​

Nonis added that the Penguins showed strong interest in Winnik in the past 10 days and that their offer improved over the past 48 hours.

Other teams were also interested in the 29-year-old Toronto native, who Leafs interim coach Peter Horachek called the team's best penalty killer.

"He's been able to play on a third line or he can play on a first line, he can move back down, he can play left wing, right wing," Horachek said Saturday after Winnik's strong game against the Winnipeg Jets. "He is very versatile. He's a smart guy."

The Penguins undoubtedly are excited about Winnik’s work on the penalty-kill — he tops all NHL forwards with 200 minutes 19 seconds of ice time while short-handed this season — but also his strong two-way play as he led the Leafs this season with a plus-15 rating.

Winnik is the third Toronto player moved in the last 10 days, following defenceman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli, who were shipped to Nashville.

Sill, 26, has three points and 60 penalty minutes in 42 games this season with Pittsburgh. The Truro, N.S., native has appeared in 62 NHL contests, while racking up 73 points in 277 outings in the American Hockey League.