So the Rangers dealt Matt Cullen back to the Hurricanes today in exchange for defenseman Andrew Hutchinson, a minor leaguer and a third round pick. I would say we got good value in return for clearing some cap space. Still, its a shame to see the speedy center go. Cullen never seemed to hit his stride or adapt to New York. During offdays with the Rangers, he used to call in to Hurricanes broadcasts to shoot the shit with the talent, who he had become friends with during his stint on the Cup champs. So he clearly is going back to somewhere he is more comfortable annd the Rangers get some more depth. Hutch was a former AHL All Star who has good hands, but is soft and needs work defensively. Unfortunately his numbers and scouting reports indicate that he is a Poti-esque player, at this point we will hope for the best ... at the least, getting a third round pick thrown in is nice considering we are giving up a player who has never scorred more than 50 points in a season. With him and Jed gone, the penalty kill for the Rangers is sure to have a new look. Hopefully it won't be a porous one ...
4 comments:
Love the move. Makes a ton of (dollars) and sense for the Rangers.
Never was a big fan of Cullen. I agree that he never quite fit in, but that his speed & PK-killing abilities will be missed.
Hopefully, this will enable Sather to make a move to bolster the blueline.
i understand the move to clear up some cap space however i think this could hurt if something happens with one of our top 6 forwards. i was hoping cullen could produce more but i dont think here was the right fit. peca could be had for a little less and that would help with the penalty kill. is dubinsky ready?
scotty your thoughts
NO PECA. I would greatly prefer not to have him on the roster. He was one of the top defensive centers who was great at faceoffs. Key word ... was. If Dubi is ready, then fine, we can give him a shot, if not, no biggie. Bettsy will slide into the third line and Ryan can center the fourth - not like we use them much anyway. If something happens with one of hte top six forwards then we will finally get to see how the kids are - Dawes, Ansimov, Dubi, etc. - altho I think Dawes might already be pencilled in for fourth line duty. Guess we shall see in preseason ...
Post a Comment