Canes trade Cullen to Ottawa for Picard, 2nd-round pick

Hurricanes

Canes trade Cullen to Ottawa for Picard, 2nd-round pick

Matt Cullen operates near the blue line in the Canes' 5-1 loss Sunday. (Photo by Roger van der Horst)

Feb 12, 2010

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Raleigh, N.C. — Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said he’s probably finished dealing for the day, but not for the season, after trading Matt Cullen Friday to Ottawa for a defenseman and a second-round pick.

“I'm not sitting waiting for a phone call,” Rutherford said. “I haven't talked to anybody else that I would consider close to anything else.”

Friday morning, Carolina traded Matt Cullen to Ottawa for a second-round pick in the 2010 draft and defenseman Alexandre Picard.

“There were probably a handful of teams interested in Matt, but none of the teams pursued it quite as hard as Ottawa did,” Rutherford said. “We had a criteria where we wanted to get a roster player back of some kind, whether it was a forward or a defenseman, and also get another second-round pick which we think is important.

"The more second-round picks you have the better chance you have of getting a good player because you don't always get them right. And, also, the more we have - it gives us a chance to parlay a couple of those maybe into getting into the first round.

Picard, 24, has four goals and 11 assists in 45 games with the Senators in this, his fifth NHL season. In 184 career NHL regular-season games, the Gatineau, Que., native has scored 16 goals and earned 41 assists (57 points) with Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Ottawa. The Flyers drafted the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Picard in the third round, 85th overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

“We like him as a solid player - he's a very consistent player, he moves the puck real well, he gives us some time on the power play, maybe the second unit,” Rutherford said. “It depends on the way our team is structured. He's a pretty consistent player - he plays pretty much the same way every game, and you know what you're going to get every night.”

The move continues Carolina’s quest to add draft picks and jettison salary as it endures a disappointing season. The Hurricanes made it to the Eastern Conference finals in 2009 but are unlikely to make the playoffs this season.

Friday was the deadline for making trades before the Winter Olympics. NHL teams can make trades again after the Olympics are over and Carolina is likely to trade more veterans.

“When you're dealing with the salaries that we deal with, the amount of money between now and when the freeze opens up again after the Olympic break is considerable,” Rutherford said. “We're in a year where our revenues are down. We have to watch these things really close.

“[Cullen] knew - the suspense was over. I think all the guys that are unrestricted free agents are sitting understanding how this works for most teams. I don't think there was any surprise here, but still...when the final word comes down, it's hard. This is a hard day for me, for this organization, for Matt, but...every good-bye doesn't have to be the last one.”

Cullen, 32, ranks ninth on the Hurricanes’ all-time scoring list since the team’s relocation, with 181 points in 266 regular-season games with Carolina. The Virginia, MN, native ranks fourth among Hurricanes skaters this season with 40 points, and tied for second on the team with 28 assists while playing in all 60 of the team’s games. Cullen (6’1”, 200 lbs.) won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006, and has eight goals and 20 assists (28 points) in 57 career NHL postseason games.

Most Recent Comments

RE: Canes trade Cullen to Ottawa for Picard, 2nd-round pick

If you "grew up playing the game" you would know about puck handling D-men. Pitkanen is not an Orr but he is the same type of puck carrier...Paul Coffey was another one. Teams that excel tend to have one or two of these offensive types of D-men. Brad Marsh type of D-men are good too but you need a mix....and if you "grew up" with the game you would know this! This whole team is -minus because they are not very good. If you think Pitkanen is on the trading block you are not as knowledgeable about "the game" as you think. He is a part of the core of this team...trust someone who knows "the game"

RE: Canes trade Cullen to Ottawa for Picard, 2nd-round pick

I know enough about hockey and grew up playing. I'd prefer defensemen to at least know how to skate backwards. I love watching Pitkanen stay as far away from th bench so he doesn't have to come off. I'd prefer Scott Stevens or even Glen Wesley. You can't continually pick up defensemen that think offense first. Maybe it wasn't Laviolette's to blame for the continual odd-man or breakaways on the goalie but the players that J.R. picks up. So you are saying Pitkanen is in the same category of Orr. That's a laugh. So he is -15, always on the ice and making 4 million what a bargain. At least we're not in last place anymore. We use the =/- to justify players playing time such as cutting Brind'amours. Maybe he just had bad luck with being on the ice with Pitkanen which isn't hard to do.
- Posted by mikeB

No, you can't. But a good core group that has both offensive defenceman and stay at homers, makes for a good combination. You HAVE to have at least TWO that can play point on the power play. "D" that can move the puck.

RE: Canes trade Cullen to Ottawa for Picard, 2nd-round pick

I know Cullen is an unrestricted free agent next year and it is business but let's be realistic. He was our best player. The only one that hustled no matter who he played with. Look at Staal, it like he's doing a free skate at the Ice House 90% of his ice time. Can J.R. only trade for defensemen? Let's see now we have too many. Maybe we can get rid of some that don't play any defense like Pitkanen. This guy all he does is cause everyone to get minuses since he is always out of position and the forwards have to try and play defense. That will free up a lot of cap money with a salary of 4.5 million next year.
- Posted by mikeB

All one has to do is look at our AHL team. We DO NOT have a good core of YOUNG players that are ready for the bigs. This was not a bad trade as it yielded us another #2 pick. JR alway's has something up his sleeve on draft day. Look for some kind of trade when the draft comes. You heard it here first.

RE: Canes trade Cullen to Ottawa for Picard, 2nd-round pick

Whitney will definitely be moved - he is too good of a "hired gun" not to be moved to a Cup contender - same with Walker and Ward to some extent. Both are physical and experienced and would make a nice playoff addition to a team that needs more physical play. It's business, but it's just hard to have good players get shipped off and now we're looking at a completely revamped team next year, with a bad coach and no chemistry, and probably another year of no playoffs as the youth movement continues....
Wonder if they're going to raise ticket prices??
- Posted by bigfiddlepbc

I think Whitney will get a #1 pick. Ward will yield us a 4th rounder, Walker, the same. But, I doubt if Walker gets traded.

RE: Canes trade Cullen to Ottawa for Picard, 2nd-round pick

I know enough about hockey and grew up playing. I'd prefer defensemen to at least know how to skate backwards. I love watching Pitkanen stay as far away from th bench so he doesn't have to come off. I'd prefer Scott Stevens or even Glen Wesley. You can't continually pick up defensemen that think offense first. Maybe it wasn't Laviolette's to blame for the continual odd-man or breakaways on the goalie but the players that J.R. picks up. So you are saying Pitkanen is in the same category of Orr. That's a laugh. So he is -15, always on the ice and making 4 million what a bargain. At least we're not in last place anymore. We use the =/- to justify players playing time such as cutting Brind'amours. Maybe he just had bad luck with being on the ice with Pitkanen which isn't hard to do.

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