Report: Cullen Could be Headed Back to Carolina

According to a report by John Dellapina in the New York Daily News, Rangers' Center Matt Cullen could be heading back to the city to which he helped bring Lord Stanley's Cup in 2006. Dellapina writes:

Sather is shopping center Matt Cullen, with a trade back to the Carolina Hurricanes very much on the front burner. Should the Rangers shed Cullen's contract (three years left at $2.8million per), they'd trim nearly $3million from this season's cap hit.

That could simply provide flexibility for potential in-season moves. But it just as easily could be the first step in a plan to clear enough cap space to sign free-agent defenseman Sheldon Souray, whom the Devils and Islanders have pursued. Unloading defenseman Paul Mara's $3million salary undoubtedly would be another requirement.

As we have discussed here all week, the Rangers moving Cullen is not a surprise. Cullen is a terrific third-line center, with great speed. He does all the little things well, and he is certainly the kind of guy you often find on successful teams. However, he is the most logical forward on the roster to be moved to clear cap room. The Rangers really created this problem when they signed Cullen last summer. As I wrote above, he is a good third-line center, but the Rangers signed him to center the 2nd line and set up Brendan Shanahan, hence his $2.85 million cap number. After watching Cullen struggle on the second line on Broadway, the Rangers felt so strongly that Cullen was not the answer at that spot, that they broke up their top line late in the season and moved Martin Straka to center the second line. They then proceded to tie up $14 million in cap space on Scott Gomez and Chris Drury to center their top two lines. When you have that much invested in your top two centers, you simply can't also pay $3 million to your third center. Well, at least not in the salary cap era (we all remember the Rangers paying Bobby Holik $9 million a year to be their third center). So, while I like Cullen, and I wish the Rangers didn't have to move him, the reality is that when you add as much salary as the Rangers have this summer, sacrifices must be made elsewhere on the roster. And, this is a necessary sacrifice.

As for Souray, I continue to believe that, even if the Rangers deal Cullen and move Mara and his $3 million salary, it still won't be enough to get a Souray deal done, unless you can get him to take a one year deal for $4 million. If Souray was willing to take that kind of deal, he would have already been signed. I know his agent is very close to Glen Sather, but Souray is also close to Martin Brodeur, so if he wouldn't take that kind of deal from the Devils to play with Marty, why would he take it from the Rangers?

Pot, Meet Kettle

Your overlord hasn't yet introduced me yet but I am a new addition to this merry cast of characters and will be taking care of your Ottawa Senators coverage. You can find my usual spews and thoughts about the team over at Scarlett Ice.

So with the Ducks finishing off the Canucks last night in the second OT period, it looks like the Senators might need to get a bigger bandwagon as they are the last thread of hope for the cup returning to its home country since, oh...14 years ago. But you know, no pressure or anything.

The Senators can eliminate the Devils with a win tomorrow and advance to the conference finals. Then, they twiddle their thumbs and wait for the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers to beat up on each other to await their opponent. Still, it's important to take it one game at a time. Ain't over until the fat lady sings but maybe that's just me being nervous for no good reason. Yesterday, Martin Brodeur attempted to deflect attention away from the fact that he's let in a string of questionable goals by saying his counterpart down the ice Ray Emery, "wasn't very good":

"I think we finally proved to ourselves if we shoot the puck on Emery, he won't look too good," said Brodeur, after he himself had a shaky night in the Senators' 3-2 win to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

"He was bobbling a lot of pucks and we could have got a lot more than we did. He played a good game, but I think we exposed him a little with his rebound control."

I think everybody was licking their chops at the salacious bitchiness of it all. I have to admit, when I first heard it I was all "Oh, no you di'nt!", myself. The general consensus I've been hearing is that most people think that Brodeur is just grasping at straws to 1) Deflect attention away from the fact that he hasn't been all that strong himself and 2) to rile his team up and get them fired up.

Now I don't have a problem with any of those things and if anybody can get away with saying stuff like that it's Marty Brodeur. I'm also not too concerned about Emery's play at all. He's never outplayed Brodeur in this series, but he's never had to. What Emery's been doing now works and on a team that clicks, everybody has a specific role to play and it's about accepting your job. Emery hasn't had to make particularly hard saves but it isn't necessarily about how difficult the save is, it's about the timing of the save. A lot of the goals Brodeur has let in, especially in the last game, were very deflating to the team and sapped the momentum from the Devils. Emery, on the other hand stood tall in the last minute of play when the Devils were desperately trying to tie it.

Watching these games, I have been at times been concerned with Emery's play though, I will admit. There are times at the start of games where he's looked shaky handling the puck. The biggest thing that people are harping on is his rebound control. However, none of them has lead to goals which can be attributed to the fact that there simply aren't enough Devils who are crashing the net. But also to the fact that Emery tends to kick his rebounds out to his defensemen so they can clear the zone. Whether or not this happens by accident or just part of his game plan, I don't know but if it works, it works.

Knowing Emery, this will just fire him up to play better. I've noticed from round 1 that Emery gets better with each game and he's shown that in this series as well. Emery's the fiercest competitor out there as evidenced when the Senators decided to sign Martin Gerber at the start of the season. He responded by improving his play and became the go-to guy for the Senators squad and they play with much more confidence in front of him.

All this being said, GO SENS GO!

The Leafs should get their golf clubs out...

...especially now that this kind of expected decision has been made.

Maybe he does, because his decision to play the little-used Scott Clemmensen in goal will not please the damned Leafs captain, Mats Sundin.
Actually, it has not yet been announced, but TSN and the Toronto Star are reporting this.

"I hope Brodeur plays," said the Swedish Captain to the TSN media after the Leafs beat you-know-who yesterday, 6-5.

Of course he wants Brodeur to play, then that gives the Devils the advantage over the Islanders.
Now, if you're really behind in all this, the Islanders are a point behind the (sigh) 8th place Leafs and can surpass them and qualify for a playoff spot if they beat Lamoriello's Devils today.

Giving Scott Clemmensen the call in goal is a wise choice by the enigmatic Lou Lamoriello.
Brodeur needs a rest, especially now with the playoffs in the horizon, the Devils netminder will probably enjoy getting a day off; the game today has absolutely no significance to them but is pivotal for the Islanders, who will either qualify for the playoffs today and knock off the Leafs, or, even worse, if they lose (how could they with Clemmensen playing?!), Toronto will win the lottery and advance to the post-season.

The least that the Islanders can do today, is beat Jersey to (yes!) take the Leafs out of a possible playoff run.

All indications point to Wade Dubielewicz getting the nod for the Islanders.
The minor-league callup has been impressive in his recent stint for the Isle, he saved their season after relieving the depleted Mike Dunham, who just couldn't stop a beach ball at this point.

It should be a good game, but, don't be surprised at all if the Islanders win, with respect to Scott Clemmensen, it's obvious right now who has the clear advantage.

Thank you Lou!

I wonder who's the best golfer on the Leafs? I'll put my money on Matt Stajan...