Trade Speculations - Cullen
by PackPride17 on Feb 7, 2010 3:04 PM EST
31 comments
With two trade deadlines right around the corner, I thought I would give you my take on what teams might be interested in our players and what I feel we should be looking for in return. The Canes players listed are the players that I feel have a shot of being traded. The teams interested in them are teams that I feel could use their services. The players, prospects, and draft picks are what I think we could get in return for said player. This obviously does not mean that these are the only options out there, this is just my opinion.
I am breaking the FanPost down by players, because one would be just too large. Part Two includes a possible hot commodity in Matt Cullen. Other players will follow over the next couple of days. Please let me know what you think or what trade returns you would like to see.
Matt Cullen – Ottawa, Calgary, New Jersey, Minnesota, NY Islanders
Ottawa – Ottawa thinks they might have a run in them and they are considering adding a piece to their puzzle. Cullen would provide them a player that could fit into many positions as well as play on the PP and PK. Their cap situation is tight, they don’t want to mess up their chemistry, and they are reluctant to overpay for anyone’s services. Cullen would be an ideal fit; he provides versatility, experience, is not to expensive and has an expiring contract.
The players that interest me are F-Peter Regin, D-Jared Cowen, D-Patrick Wiercioch, and C-Jim O’Brien. I don’t think Cullen would be Ottawa’s first choice, but again makes sense. If they believe they have a good shot, I’m sure JR would gladly exchange Cullen for Ottawa’s 1st round pick. This would allow them to keep their young players and if they do advance far into the playoffs, it would only be a low round pick.
Calgary – Is their a team out there that needs the center position more? Cullen would step in and almost immediately play with future Hall of Famer Iginla. He could provide them with a smart, two-way player that knows how to dish the puck. He could also provide some scoring, which has been lacking in Calgary, and could play on the PP.
The players that interest me are RW-Greg Nemisz, D-Tim Erixon, F-Rene Bourque, and F-Dustin Boyd. While this would make sense for Calgary, I don’t know if it would work for Carolina. Calgary has no picks in the first two rounds and their prospect pool is somewhat shallow. Unless they are willing to give up Bourque (which I doubt), I would pass on any trades with the Flames.
New Jersey – This would be an interesting situation. It appears they know time is short and they are going to make a run at the Cup this season. They have attempted to shore up a lagging offense with Kovalchuk, could they be looking for some depth experience now? Cullen could slide into a 3rd line center role and probably help improve their average PK.
The players that interest me are C-Jacob Josefson, D-Matt Corrente, D-Brandon Burlon, D-Tyler Eckford, C-Adam Henrique, and D-Andy Greene. There is no 1st round pick available, so any deal would have to be for prospects or a prospect and low 2nd. They have plenty of defensive prospects that interest me and they might be willing to give one up since their blueline is somewhat set. None of the prospects are what I consider to be high-level, but Carolina could replenish the minors and see how they develop.
Minnesota – Minnesota is still currently in the playoff picture and they are thinking they might try to make a run at them. Cullen would be a good addition to a team that is somewhat lacking in talent. He would fit in the 2nd line center role, would play on both special team units, and he would be “going home.”
The players that interest me are D-Tyler Cuma, D-Marco Scandella, D-Nick Leddy. The Wild are very weak in the prospect department and are trying to build their prospect ranks back up. They would likely not include a 1st round pick, but maybe one of their defensive prospects and a 2nd.
New York Islanders – “The Isles” are currently outside looking in on the playoff picture, but if they could go on a streak; anything is possible in the East. This young team needs some added experience and while Doug Weight provides some, he’s unproductive (0 goals this season). Cullen would be able to come in and play a top 6 role, help mentor the kids, and could be used on the PP to set up the positionally excellent Tavares.
The players that interest me are F-Josh Bailey, D-Calvin D Haan, C-Trevor Smith, and RW-Kirill Petrov. Are they going to make the playoffs; probably not. The Islanders also don’t want to trade away any of their young players and that is fine. If we could coax them out of their 1st round pick, that should be enough for Cullen. Especially if that pick turns into a top 10 selection
Here are the trades that I would like to see happen, in order of which one I would most like to see.
Trade C-Matt Cullen to New York Islanders for a 1st round pick.
We would get a probably high 1st round pick that should turn into an impact player in a year or two, possibly earlier. They would get a 1st or 2nd line center with experience to possibly help them sneak into the playoffs for the first time in many years.
Trade C-Matt Cullen to New Jersey for C-Adam Henrique and D-Brandon Burlon.
We would get two solid prospects that are not quite ready for the big leagues. Henrique is a center that should develop into a 3rd line role and would be used in PK situations. Burlon is a two-way defenseman that has good skating ability. These two would not be immediate help, but would replenish the A and should develop into solid role players. They would get a 3rd line center and someone to help their PK. Cullen would add Cup experience to a team looking to win it all this year.
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I like Cullen a lot...
but I think a 1st round pick is VERY hopeful… Cullen is only a 2nd line centre at best on most (if not all) teams and other teams may also consider how he flopped when he went to the rangers and may fear he may do the same thing if they acquired him
by webbo26 on Feb 7, 2010 3:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I would actually tend to agree with you that Cullen is at best a 2nd line center. But have you seen the Islanders lineup? He would probably be their 2nd with an outside possiblity of playing some top line minutes. A 1st is very hopeful, but they don’t want to give up any of their prospects. If they could get 5 points before the Olympic break, they might think they have a shot at the playoffs. They won’t be sending many if any to the Olympics, so they should be rested for the hectic remaining schedule. It’s not likely to happen, but there is an outside chance.
by PackPride17 on Feb 7, 2010 4:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Very true indeed! Although with Tavares there I think top line minutes would be limited, but perhaps he could get some decent time on the 1st PP unit? But I would think the Islanders would still view themselves as rebuilding too, so I doubt they’d want to give up their 1st round pick just for a second line C who might not stay come the summer anyway… not that I’m saying I don’t want it to happen – I would be overjoyed and jump up and down like a loony if you’re right, and then apologize for doubting you =P
by webbo26 on Feb 7, 2010 5:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think 3 teams that will be hungry for some scoring in the next 5 days (Before the Olympic Trade Deadline) will be Boston, Pheonix, and Atlanta. All 3 are super desperate the make the playoffs… In Pheonix and Atlanta’s case the future of their franchise staying in their current location could depend on it. In Boston’s case they just ended a 10 game losing streak today, but they still need scoring to fight back into a playoff spot and remain relevant in Boston. After their strong Eastern Conference winning run last regular season only to be knocked out by us and the whole Kessel debacle that has resulted in them currently having the lowest Goals For in the whole league (by a pretty good margin too)… They need to make another playoff run.
by JussiJuice on Feb 7, 2010 6:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
1st rounder for Cullen
Seriously? Can you spell hockey sir?
by Bad Boy Bhagan on Feb 7, 2010 6:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Joined Canes Country – 02/07/10 6:36 PM EST
Thanks for sharing.
by Elsker on Feb 7, 2010 7:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
H-O-C-K-E-Y
Did I get it right?
Anything is possible SIR! Hell, Wallin went for a probable mid-round 2nd. I think if that’s possible, Cullen could go for a low mid to low 1st. I’m not saying it will happen, but it could.
by PackPride17 on Feb 7, 2010 8:15 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Cullen and First Round Pick
I would not be shocked in the least to see Cullen traded for a first round pick. It might take Jim Rutherford trading a third round pick in addition to Cullen. Carolina’s third round pick will be the equivalent of a late second round pick due to the Hurricanes’ draft position. Cullen has Stanley Cup experience and can play all three lines and has had some limited time on wing. Cullen is also excellent both on the power play and the penalty kill.
Given the fact we are all predicting a future event, it will be seen as events develop which predictions were in fact accurate. I did not hear or read any prediction that Wallin would be traded with a fifth round pick for a second round pick until the actual trade was being discussed; and yet, that is the trade that occurred. I think Cullen is vastly better at center than Wallin is as a defenseman.
by abramsdoug on Feb 7, 2010 8:25 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Uhm
If JR gets a team to give him a 1st rd pick for Cullen..I’ll eat my shorts!!
Boys, I’m one the few Canes\Whalers fans since 1985 here in Moncton, New Brunswick but I understand value of players come trade time. Cullen is a 3rd line center for a Stanley Cup contender. There are some really, really bad GM’s in the league that might overvalue him, but if we get a 2nd round pick then count your blessings and move on.
by Bad Boy Bhagan on Feb 7, 2010 9:54 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I think the most likely result of a Cullen trade would be Cullen for a second round pick and a prospect. I do think the scarcity of solid centers with Stanley Cup experience makes it feasible to think Cullen might be worth a first round draft pick to that team. I would trade Cullen for a second round pick if I were the Canes GM; but I would wait until the trade deadline to see whether injuries occur on other teams and whether as a result Cullen’s trade value increased. Cullen has plenty of speed and quickness. He has a solid defensive game to go with offensive skill. If Cullen had more physicality to his game and if he could hit the back of the net on inside puck battles, he would be a beast.
by abramsdoug on Feb 7, 2010 10:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Cullen -- second round pick and a prospect
Alexandre Picard and the second round pick is a great trade for both teams. Cullen will help the Senators and Picard has serious upside potential. I think Jim Rutherford will try to bundle a player and a second round pick for a first round pick.
by abramsdoug on Feb 12, 2010 2:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I am glad I didn’t bet on where I thought Wallin would go. If somebody told me Wallin a second round pick in exchange for Wallin and a 5th round pick, I’d be grilling some bvds. I would think there is far more chance of Cullen going for some combination of a first round pick than Wallin’s trade for a second round pick.
by abramsdoug on Feb 7, 2010 10:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah it doesn’t have to be just Cullen for a 1st rounder. It could very well be Cullen + Buffalo’s 2nd rounder we just acquired for a serious Cup contending team like Chicago/Washington’s 1st round. Maybe a little more plausible.
by JussiJuice on Feb 7, 2010 11:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
So Bad Boy,
If the Isles go on a little streak here is the jumbled East and are in a spot to make the playoffs – you don’t think they’ll try like hell to get in? They need an experienced center and there are not many available out there. To my knowledge, Wang is still trying to get his “Lighthouse Project” passed and making the playoffs would help. Again, like I said in the post the Isles would have to go on a run before any trade, but Cullen’s value to them could be their 1st in what is considered a shallow draft.
by PackPride17 on Feb 7, 2010 11:05 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
I also don’t think Cullen is a true rental player. I think a rental player is one that will only be with the team for the remainder of the season. I think some of the teams Cullen may be traded to, since he is really playing for a contract, might try to resign him (particularly a team like the Islanders and the Wild that could really use him). With that said, his play/performance would probably warrant a mid to low 1st round pick.
by PackPride17 on Feb 7, 2010 11:28 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
JR may not get a 1st but I would be surprised if he didn’t get a 2nd and a prospect, mid – to raw….
by NotOpie on Feb 10, 2010 8:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I liked my shorts too
I was a little worried when the habs GM made a horrible trade offfering a 2nd for Moore. At least it created the market place for us to get Picard too.
by Bad Boy Bhagan on Feb 12, 2010 7:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
It was a close call on the shorts diet
I suspect it was quite a close call on whether it would be a shorts diet tonight. A second round pick and a roster prospect is a very near miss on a first round draft choice.
by abramsdoug on Feb 12, 2010 8:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Alexandre Picard
I think Alexandre Picard will be an excellent pick up for the Hurricanes. With some nurturing and coaching, he has all the tools to become a top four defenseman.
by abramsdoug on Feb 12, 2010 8:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’m not so sure we can get a first rounder for Cullen. However, a desperate enough team might be willing to part with one to get him and he has the intangibiles to prove that (PO experience, goal scoring ability, good locker room guy, etc.). As I said about Corvo, if the market is right, we just might get a first rounder for him, but I see that as a lucky scenario. A second rounder seems to be a more likely catch.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
by Ivan459 on Feb 8, 2010 10:13 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Recent History of Mid 1st Round Picks
I did a little research and complied a list of draft picks (selections 10-20) over the past couple of seasons. I’m not saying this will be a reason Cullen would fetch a 1st, but it does show that the majority of players selected in this slot over the past couple of seasons are far less capable of helping the team that drafts them than Cullen could be.
2004 Draft – only 5 of the 11 players selected 10 through 20 have played over 100 games. The players that I would say are in Cullen’s class or better are: Drew Stafford, Alexander Radulov, and Travis Zajac.
2005 Draft – only 4 of 11 players selected 10 through 20 have played over 80 games. The players that I would say are in Cullen’s class or better are: Anze Kopitar, Marc Staal, Martin Hanzal, and maybe Ryan Parent.
2006 Draft – only 4 of 11 players selected 10 through 20 have played over 60 games. The players that I would say are in Cullen’s class or better are: Michael Frolik, Bryan Little, and maybe Jiri Tlusty.
2007 Draft – only 2 of 10 players (1 died) selected 10 through 20 have played over 40 games. The players that I would say are in Cullen’s class or better are: Brandon Sutter and maybe Ryan McDonagh.
To me this shows that those picks turn out a few good players, but most are nothing more than role/depth players. I know drafting is mainly about potential, but a known quantity is sometimes better. To get a solid center that can play on the special teams for a mid 1st round pick seems to be a pretty fair exchange.
Matt Cullen’s 4 Yr Avg (2005 – 2009)
72 games played – 19 goals – 27 assists – 46 points
Here are the forwards from this draft group that have either met or exceeded Cullen’s numbers.
Alexander Radulov’s 2 Yr Avg
73 games played – 22 goals – 26 assists – 48 points
Travis Zajac’s 4 Yr Avg
75 games played – 17 goals – 29 assists – 46 points
Anze Kopitar’s 4 Yr Avg
74 games played – 26 goals – 40 assists – 66 points
So, while a mid 1st round pick has potential to be very good, only 3 players through 4 years in that draft pick area have been more productive than Cullen.
by PackPride17 on Feb 8, 2010 1:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Recent Trades Involving 1st Round Picks
Here is a list of trades over the past couple of years that involved a 1st round pick. Some would seem quite worth it, others seem to have overpaid. Again, my conclusion is that a team trying to reach the playoffs or make a run at the cup is willing to fork over a 1st for an above average player (like Cullen).
05/06 Season
Edmonton traded a 1st and 3rd to Minnesota for Dwayne Roloson.
Carolina traded Jesse Boulerice, Mike Zigomanis, Magnes Kahnberg, a 1st and 2-4th’s to St. Louis for Doug Weight and Erkki Rajamaki.
Washington traded Brenden Witt to Nashville for Kris Beech and a 1st.
06/07 Season
LA traded Pavol Demitra to Minnesota for Patrick O’Sullivan and a 1st.
Edmonton traded Chris Pronger to Anaheim for Joffrey Lupul, Ladislav Smid, 2-1st’s and a 2nd.
San Jose traded Alexander Korolyuk and Jim Fahey to New Jersey for Vladimir Malaknov and a conditional 1st.
Phoenix traded Ladislav Nagy to Dallas for Mathias Tjarnqvist and a 1st.
Edmonton traded Ryan Smyth to New York for Robert Nilsson, Ryan O’Marra and a 1st.
St. Louis traded Bill Guerin to San Jose for Ville Nieminen, Jay Barriball and a 1st.
Washington traded Danius Zubrus and Timo Helbling to Buffalo for Jiri Novotny and a 1st.
LA traded Mattias Norstrom, Konstantin Pusakarev, a 3rd and 4th to Dallas for Jaroslav Modry, Johan Fransson, a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
Philadelphia traded Peter Forsberg to Nashville for Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, a 1st and 3rd.
Anaheim traded Shane O’Brien and a 3rd to Tampa for Gerald Coleman and a 1st.
St. Louis traded Keith Tkachuk to Atlanta for Glen Metropolit, a 1st, 3rd, 2nd, and conditional 1st.
Montreal traded Craig Rivet and a 5th to San Jose for Josh Gorges and a 1st.
07/08 Season
Nashville traded Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell to Philadelphia for a 1st.
San Jose traded Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell to Toronto for a 1st, 2nd and 4th.
Nashville traded Thomas Vokoun to Florida for a 1st.
Atlanta traded Keith Tkachuk to St. Louis for a 1st.
Buffalo traded Brian Campbell and a 7th to San Jose for Steve Bernier and a 1st.
Columbus traded Adam Foote to Colorado for a conditional 1st and 4th.
Atlanta traded Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis to Pittsburgh for Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Espositio and a 1st.
08/09 Season
(I have excluded draft picks for draft picks only trades)
LA traded Mike Cammalleri and a 2nd to Calgary for a 1st and 2nd.
Philadelphia traded RJ Umberger and a 4th to Columbus for a 1st and 3rd.
Calgary traded Alex Tanguay and a 5th to Montreal for a 1st and 2nd.
Philadelphia traded a 1st to Washington for Steve Eminger and a 3rd.
Tampa traded Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich to San Jose for Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, a 1st and 4th.
New York traded Mike Comrie and Chris Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and a 1st.
Phoenix traded Olli Jokinen to Calgary for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust and a 1st.
Ottawa traded Andrej Mesaros to Tampa for Filip Kuba, Alexander Picard and a 1st.
Take what you want from these trades, but my opinion is that trading Matt Cullen for a 1st round pick does seem possible.
by PackPride17 on Feb 8, 2010 2:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
….seems to me that of the most recent batch of trades the Comrie/Campoli deal and the Umberger deal feel like the right kind of trades for Cullen’s value….we will just want picks/prospects in return….would not be surprised to see us trade Cullen and a 5th for a good prospect and a 2nd or 3rd round pick…..Nashville are you listening?
by NotOpie on Feb 10, 2010 8:56 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
PackPride,
I see where you are coming from but like I said…only a bad or desperate GM moves a 1st for Cullen. Too bad Gainey just quit because he’s on my list of dumbass GMs. All the Habs fans here seem excited by it. Strange because I bash him all year and they stuck up for him. If JR retired\quit, I would not be happy about it. We are so lucky he didn’t take the leafs job.
by Bad Boy Bhagan on Feb 8, 2010 5:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
But you see that based on Cullen’s performance, a mid 1st would be equilalent to his value. I know trades are not about what’s fair, buy Cullen for a mid 1st would be fair.
by PackPride17 on Feb 8, 2010 6:46 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Just a note to those who feel like Cullen could not return a 1st round pick. According to Pierre Lebrun, he doesn’t expect a lot of 1st round picks to be dealt during the trade period. His assumption is that Carolina is ’hoping" that Whitney gets us a 1st rounder.
by PackPride17 on Feb 9, 2010 11:10 PM EST via mobile reply actions 0 recs
Cullen was on fire against the Panthers tonight
Apparently there were tons of scouts at the Panthers game tonight. Cullen was really on fire and helped his cause. It is going to be very interesting to see what transpires from now until the trade deadline. I’ll stick with my guess that Cullen either goes for a first round draft choice or a very good prospect.
by abramsdoug on Feb 10, 2010 1:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
yeah three point night for Matt. A cup contender that needs a center may be suckered into overpaying, Cullen would flourish in a third line capacity on a playoff team. That kind of depth in the match-up department is what ultimately advances you in the playoffs.
by Herb Gardener on Feb 10, 2010 8:00 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Exactly. Remember that Cullen centering our 3rd line was one of the main reasons we won a Cup. He is much better than normal 3rd liners and bottom pairing D, as shown in his performance last night. That goal he scored was pretty ridiculous and there were scouts from at least 9 teams at the game scouting our UFA’s for a potential trade. I wouldn’t be surprised if the interest for him went up a notch.
by JussiJuice on Feb 10, 2010 12:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Does anyone have any information on what teams were at the game last night scouting? I know it may be hard to come by, but it would be nice to know what teams we can expect to be interested in our pending free-agents, or any other player we may look to trade.
by Caniac Kid on Feb 10, 2010 7:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Interesting Article Suggesting Cullen Trade Will Come Any Day
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2010/02/08/daily35.html
President and General Manager Jim Rutherford says he expects to trade Matt Cullen before the Olympic roster freeze, which runs Feb. 12-28, and Ray Whitney after the break but before the March 3 trade deadline.
"They are unrestricted free agents at the end of the year so come July, we may make a run for them to come back," Rutherford says. "But for now, with Scott Walker, Chad LaRose and Eric Cole ready to come in and contribute, I believe we will be OK."
by abramsdoug on Feb 11, 2010 10:31 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
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