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Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins rookie winger Conor Sheary celebrates with teammate Jayson Megna on his first period goal against Norfolk on April 18. Sheary enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

Conor Sheary shrugged when asked about his hot play in the postseason and summed it up simply.

“I just kind of had a hot stick,” Sheary said before packing up and heading home for the summer last Thursday.

In a playoff run that ended in disappointment for the Penguins courtesy of a 4-1 series exit to Manchester, Sheary was a bright spot. He notched five goals and 12 points in eight games, and when combined with his 11 points from last year’s postseason, Sheary has registered 23 points in 23 playoff contests.

But that’s not all. In his rookie campaign this year, Sheary scored 20 goals and 45 points in 58 games to lead the Penguins.

Sheary certainly had the hot stick in the postseason, and now he’ll likely be a hot commodity as he enters the summer as an unrestricted free agent. After playing last year on an AHL deal, Sheary has his sights set on an NHL contract for the upcoming season.

“It’s an exciting time for me,” he said. “Something’s going to happen in the next couple months and I just have to wait it out.”

Sheary, 22, said he loves playing in Wilkes-Barre, but as far as a return to the area for next year, that remains to be seen. There could be other teams interested in a speedy, up-and-coming point producer.

While Sheary’s offense isn’t in doubt, there could be some questions about his size when it comes to reaching the NHL. He’s 5-foot-9, 175-pounds, but he stressed that won’t be a factor.

“I’ve heard that critique my entire career. People have done it before me and players are doing it now,” Sheary said. “Hopefully they can see through that and see I compete hard and have the skills.”

While several rookies got their first NHL call-up this season to Pittsburgh thanks to a glut of openings from injuries, Sheary had to watch because he was handcuffed by his AHL deal.

Sheary said it was great to see his teammates play well when they went up and he shared their excitement when they got the call, but now he’s ready to experience it for himself.

“(The Pittsburgh organization) has seen me play a ton of times and they know what my game is now,” Sheary said. “You’ve got to play well in the regular season to have a chance in the playoffs, and to perform well in the playoffs is a big step in the right direction for me.”