True rental or lost forever???

by CarolinaCanes on Feb 12, 2010 5:20 PM EST

http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=517420&cmpid=rss-droschak

"When you have two young centers like Staal and Sutter, what can you pay another center iceman to fit into your pay structure?" Rutherford asked. "It just becomes part of our business, and it’s not the fun part of our business. Come July 1 we’ll see who is out there and if Matt is out there I’ll always keep the door open. This parting is not a bitter one."

For all the Caniacs with Matt Cullen jerseys – and that number is large – keep them clean and close by.

Matt will always be one of my favorite Canes, though his time here wasn't all long. I'm also a Raider fan and I have always characterized certain Raiders players or coachs as "a True Raider". I think we all know what I mean by that. Matt to me was a True 'Cane. The Hurricanes since their move down here have become a team known to be more than the sum of thier parts. Matt Cullen was a guy that allowed this team to be that. A true team player that would do anything asked of him and do it well. His constant work on the PK unit shows that best I think. Always in the lanes and trying to create the odd man rush the other way. It was these feelings that started choking me up, I can only hope the final paragraph (above) is foreshadowning and not wishful thinking.

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Great post, you’ve captured exactly how I feel.

by hip_check on Feb 12, 2010 5:29 PM EST reply actions

Cullen Next Year

Part of the issue next year will be whether the Hurricanes are able to take Tyler Seguin, who is a center. If Seguin is drafted, it is highly unlikely I think that Matt Cullen will be re-signed. On the other hand, if Taylor Hall or Cam Fowler is taken, the chances of Matt Cullen being selected are much greater.

by abramsdoug on Feb 12, 2010 7:16 PM EST reply actions

agree mostly

But even Eric Staal was a non-factor as a rookie. Really he didn’t become the player he was until the lock-out when he spent a full year in Lowell (Im pretty sure it was lowell not albany). I agree pretty much in full but stall,sutter,cullen,sequin is pretty strong up the middle. Jussi can play the wing, hell cullen can play the wing. I would stilll like him on the team no matter who we draft. Like I said, few centers come into the league as a top 9 forward. Even still, if cully is centering our 4th line it woud mean we are very good up-front. Thats not a bad thing. Sequin might be out of our reach with this recent surge, hall too. It looks like to me Fowler is the pick. I am torn between rooting to win or loose, it just means im happy after everygame no mater what, i guess.

by CarolinaCanes on Feb 12, 2010 9:57 PM EST up reply actions

Another long suffering Raider fan?

I was born in Cali, and have always been a Raiders fan. I agree with your sentiment of “Forever Raiders”, not to be confused with the “scholarship players” that Al keeps around, Howie, Ray Guy, The Snake, heck even Marcus Allen.
All the members of the Canes ’06 Team will be, in my mind, forever Canes. Cullen is one of the best examples of this, he has adapted his game to what is best for our team. Kevyn Adams is also an example of a player that to me will be forever be a Cane.

"He has all the virtues I dislike, and none of the vices I admire." -Sir Winston Churchill

by SouthernHockeyFan on Feb 13, 2010 9:10 AM EST up reply actions

This has been a year for both of us where the best time of the season is the off-season in damn near everysport.lol

by CarolinaCanes on Feb 13, 2010 8:56 PM EST up reply actions

"...what can you pay...?"

I believe that the answer to the rental/lost-forever question lies within JR’s quotation above.

At the end of the day, there is certainly some contract, both dollars and length, that would meet the team’s needs, IF a homegrown third-line center is not apparent or has been otherwise acquired.

Dwyer’s an option, Jokinen’s an option…heck, even Brind’Amour’s an option. But, they all feel like “could” instead of “should”.

Certainly there’s a lot of trading and needs assessment to be done before JR makes any free agent decisions. But, if Matt wants to keep the family in Raleigh, then there’s probably some price at which that could be arranged while we work on a more permanent replacement.

We will need a “hometown” discount. But, at that discount, he could be an attractive option, particularly because he can do spare tire duties at other positions in top-6 roles.

Let’s just not make the contract for too long, JR. And, no NTC’s, please…unless he’s willing to work so affordably that we’d be nuts to trade him, that is.

by Elsker on Feb 14, 2010 5:31 PM EST reply actions

agree

I think cullen only makes 2.7 this year. I would be ok with that for 2 or 3 years. He is 34 I think. I would be confortable with that. He could get more on the open market, but that seems just about right with the whole “home-team discount” thing.

by CarolinaCanes on Feb 14, 2010 7:24 PM EST up reply actions