NHL RUMORS: Pittsburgh Penguins, Phil Kessel Trade With Toronto Maple Leafs Remains Possible? (UPDATE: Kessel Is A Penguin)

The Pittsburgh Penguins are hot on the trail of scoring wingers and while the smart money is probably on Pens GM Jim Rutherford signing a mid to high-level UFA once the NHL's 2015-16 free agency period kicks off today, it seems a trade remains very much on the table.

Sam Carchidi of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that rumors have again begun to swirl that Rutherford and Co. remain interested in a potential deal for Toronto Maple Leafs scorer Phil Kessel.

TSN NHL Insider Darren Dreger reported shortly thereafter that there is "no question" that teams remain interested in Kessel and that the Penguins in particular "remain interested."

Dreger believes Mike Babcock would like to try his hand at coaching Kessel before allowing Leafs president Brendan Shanahan to ship him elsewhere, but it likely all depends on what offers Shanahan is able to garner for the tempestuous Kessel.

The Penguins, of course, have reportedly been eyeing any number of trades for scoring help on the wings.

HNGN passed along a report on Tuesday that Rutherford had "kicked the tires" on trades involving Kessel, TJ Oshie of the St. Louis Blues, Patrick Sharp of the Chicago Blackhawks and Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Earlier this offseason they were said to be eyeing a potential deal for Chicago's young power forward Brandon Saad, a Pittsburgh native, but Saad, of course, was dealt to the Columbus Blues Jackets in a stunning reversal by Hawks GM Stan Bowman on Tuesday.

Kessel, 27, remains one of the best pure scorers in the NHL. During a down season for Toronto last year he potted 25 goals and added 36 assists in 82 games playing alongside the perennially disappointing Tyler Bozak.

Of course, acquiring Kessel won't be cheap. Paying him won't be easy either. Kessel is set to enter the second year of an eight-year, $64 million deal that carries an $8 million-per-year cap hit.

It was reported yesterday by ESPN's Pierre LeBrun that the deal included a $4 million bonus to be paid today, which could have been what was hampering a deal.

Any trade for Kessel would almost assuredly involve the Leafs eating some, or potentially most, of his yearly salary.

UPDATE, 1:00 pm: They did it. They actually did it.