Winnik on trade to Penguins: 'This team is built for the playoffs'
Daniel Winnik likes what he sees in his new team.
"I think this team is built for the playoffs," Winnik told Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review after being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. "They have a lot of experience, guys who have won the Cup."
Related: Maple Leafs trade Winnik to Penguins for Zach Sill, 2 draft picks
Winnik had a while to prepare for the culture shock of going from the basement-dwelling Toronto Maple Leafs to a team he feels has a chance to win a championship. His name was linked to the Penguins for weeks, even though he thought they lost interest at one point.
DW: "I read the reports that they tried to get me in January, then they made the trade for Lapierre. I thought maybe the interest was gone."
— Jason Mackey (@Mackey_Trib) February 25, 2015
Winnik, who turns 30 on March 6, will not be at Penguins practice Thursday due to visa issues. It took his former Toronto Maple Leafs teammates Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli a week before they were cleared to play for the Nashville Predators, but Winnik is taking a laid-back approach to any possible delays.
"The process has to work itself out," he told Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "You get to Pittsburgh when you can."