Reports around Penguins camp suggest that Eric Tangradi has been sent down to the Wheeling Nailers, the Pittsburgh Penguins' ECHL affiliate. The same report also indicates that the Pens have recalled goaltender Patrick Killeen from Wheeling.
Initially, like many of you, I thought this to be a typo. But for the time being I think this might be a way of circumventing some sort of money or waiver issue. Or at least that's what I'm hoping for. I didn't necessarily have Tangradi penned in as a Top 6 to open the season, but I sure as hell couldn't have predicted him going down to Wheeling.
Edit: I sent a few e-mails out to bloggers on SBN to get their input on the situation. Many suggested, what a lot of us speculated, that this is just a way to get around negotiating the cap and that placing Tangradi in Wheeling keeps him close to Pittsburgh so he can return, say, as soon as tomorrow.
He must report to Wheeling however, and if I'm not mistaken I think the term used in situations like this is "physically report." If it's as simple as walking in a door, waving and stopping for a bathroom break before returning to Pittsburgh, then so be it.