One of the reasons the Senators probably traded for Matt Cullen is to improve their power play, which ranks 27th in the 30-team NHL. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)Bryan Murray isn't satisfied with his team's first-place standing in the NHL's Northeast Division. He wants a Stanley Cup ring.
Armed with a one-year contract extension, the Ottawa Senators general manager beat Friday's Olympic roster freeze deadline at 3 p.m. ET by picking up veteran centre Matt Cullen from the Carolina Hurricanes.
The cost for Cullen, who won a Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006, was defenceman Alexandre Picard and a second-round draft pick this summer.
The trade gives the Northeast Division-leading Senators a forward with significant post-season experience. Cullen was a valuable third-line centre on the Hurricanes' Cup team and reached the Eastern Conference final last year.
"It's a tough day to say goodbye to him," said Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford of Cullen.
It might not have been as tough a day for Murray, who placed underachieving right-winger Jonathan Cheechoo on waivers after he posted just 14 points and a team-worst –13 rating in 61 games.
Cullen, 33, has scored 12 goals and 40 points in 60 games this season. He is making $2.8 million US this year and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Cullen manned the point when Carolina had the man advantage and should assume the same role with the Senators, who rank 27th in the 30-team NHL on the power play.
Rutherford said there were "a handful" of teams expressing interest in Cullen before the NHL was to freeze rosters Friday at 3 p.m. ET for the Olympic break, and the Senators were the most persistent pursuers. Carolina was looking for an NHL-ready player and a second-round draft pick.
Picard, 24, has four goals and 11 assists in 45 games this season, and will be a restricted free agent after the season.
Picard didn't dress for eight of the nine games between Jan. 18 and Feb. 4. He had an assist in nearly 16 minutes of ice time in a 6-5 win against Washington on Thursday night.
"It's been a rough couple of weeks here in Ottawa for me, didn't get to play much, so obviously I was pretty happy to go to a team where they wanted me and I'll get a chance to play, too," Picard said on a conference call.
Said Rutherford: "Alexandre is a good, young defenceman who should become a regular part of the Hurricanes' blue-line."
Earlier this week, they dealt veteran defenceman Niclas Wallin to San Jose for a draft pick.
The Hurricanes matched a season high with their fourth straight win Thursday night —their overtime victory against Buffalo helped Ottawa vault into first in its division — and have won eight of 10 to escape the Eastern Conference cellar.
"It's not probable, but we can still make the playoffs," Rutherford said. "We don't want to quit."
Cheechoo, who scored 56 goals for San Jose in the 2005-06 season, was part of the Dany Heatley trade on Sept. 12.
He didn't join the Senators on their two-game weekend road trip to Detroit and Long Island.
If Cheechoo clears waivers, Ottawa can ship him to its American Hockey League affiliate in Binghamton, N.Y., allow him to sign with a team in Europe or an NHL squad would pick him up for half his $3-million US salary on re-entry waivers.
Murray also would have the option to buy out the 29-year-old's contract at season's end.
He dismissed speculation he would try to trade veteran defender and pending unrestricted free agent Anton Volchenkov. Murray stated that he had extended a contract offer to the 27-year-old Russian.
Ottawa on Friday recalled defencemen Brian Lee and Derek Smith from Binghamton under emergency conditions. Lee has played 72 games with Ottawa over the past three seasons, including 13 this year, with 25-year-old Smith yet to make his NHL debut.
With files from The Associated Press
