Senators Acquire Matt Cullen for Picard, Draft Pick

[The Boogie Man]

OTTAWA - Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray announced today the club has acquired centre Matt Cullen from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenceman Alexandre Picard and Ottawa’s second-round draft choice in the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

Cullen, 33, is currently in his 12th NHL season, and his fourth with Carolina. In 59 games this season, he has scored 12 goals, while adding 28 assists and 26 penalty minutes.

In 859 career NHL games with Anaheim, Florida, the N.Y. Rangers and Carolina, Cullen has scored 165 goals, added 288 assists and 384 penalty minutes. He also recorded 28 points (eight goals and 20 assists) and 32 penalty minutes in 57 career playoff games. He won a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Cullen was Anaheim’s second-round pick (35th overall) in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. He was acquired by Carolina from the Rangers in exchange for Andrew Hutchinson, Joe Barnes and a third-round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft on July 17, 2007.

The native of Virginia, Minn. has represented the United States internationally on two occasions, playing in the world hockey championship in 1999 and 2004. He was also on Team U.S.A.’s taxi squad at the 2006 Winter Olympics, but did not see game action.

Picard, 24, was acquired by the Senators from the Tampa Bay Lightning along with Filip Kuba and a first-round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft for Andrej Meszaros on Aug. 29, 2008. Picard has scored four goals, while adding 11 assists and 20 penalty minutes in 45 games with the Senators this season. In 184 career NHL games, he has recorded 16 goals, 41 assists and registered 59 penalty minutes.

[The Woodsman]

I think this means Lee will get called up, and there will possibly be another move for a defenceman. Ottawa only has 5 healthy D including Lee, and about 5 lines of forwards.

I can't say I'm shocked to see Murray gave up a second rounder in a really deep draft for basically a spare part who will be gone in a couple of months, but... Whatever.

[The Woodsman]

Just read that Campoli is going to LTIR, so we are either calling up 2 defencemen from Bingo, or there is another trade coming.

[yeah]

Not a fan of this move at all.

****.

[thepolishkid88]

I really felt the Sens didnt need much of anything. Sorta felt they would be quiet during the deadline.

[The Woodsman]

Originally Posted by thepolishkid88

I really felt the Sens didnt need much of anything. Sorta felt they would be quiet during the deadline.

Nah, Murray still has lots of expendable draft picks for useless impending free-agents!

[rondo]

Cullens a pretty good offensive player and will impress if he is playing on a top two line. Also a good pp player. I said the same thing about Spezza earlier this year when he was being thrown under the bus and look at how he is playing now....

[antonio106]

So Zack Smith can't stay up with the big club, but we need to go out of our way to cram another forward into the gullet of this team?

[thepolishkid88]

Originally Posted by moxie

Nah, Murray still has lots of expendable draft picks for useless impending free-agents!

Must suck knowing you were close to getting rid of him and then today they announce that he has signed an extension. Tough day in Ottawa.

If you wanna give the Pens draft picks plese by all means. Give you Skoula for a 1st, hell I will even take a 7th.

[yeah]

We need some ****ing defense.

The only NHL level defenseman we have are Phillips, Volchenkov, Kuba and Carkner. Carkner should play a number 5 role, and he's being forced into the top 4. Karlsson is injured, but it's hard to tell with him. He looked awful at the beginning but great more recently.

Regardless, I don't see us going far with that defense, because we don't have all-star goaltending to make up for it.

[rondo]

I would say they are stock piling forwards so they will be able to take a crack at a top 4 dman.

[yeah]

Originally Posted by yeah

Not a fan of this move at all.

****.

Originally Posted by rondo

I would say they are stock piling forwards so they will be able to take a crack at a top 4 dman.

I'm hoping.

It's be really nice if he has an actual contract for next season unlike some of his previous deadline deals (Commodore, Stillman, Cullen).

[antonio106]

Originally Posted by yeah

It's be really nice if he has an actual contract for next season unlike some of his previous deadline deals (Commodore, Stillman, Cullen).

Those were great deals, man. Murray just got himself a contract extension for them. You forgot about Martin Lapointe, too.

[yeah]

Originally Posted by antonio106

Those were great deals, man. Murray just got himself a contract extension for them. You forgot about Martin Lapointe, too.

Yeesh, how could I forget.

I don't hate Murray, but I'm not a fan. I don't see hwo he's really improved the team. I think Clouston deserves the credit as a great coach.

I'm not seething that he was re-signed, but I'm disappointed. Wish they had gone in a new direction.

[caps05]

Originally Posted by antonio106

So Zack Smith can't stay up with the big club, but we need to go out of our way to cram another forward into the gullet of this team?

I think Murray was mistaken. He called up the wrong Smith from Binghamton. LOL.