Matt Cullen has had some sagas lately. He considered retiring in summer 2015 but was signed by Jim Rutherford to play for the Penguins. They won the Stanley Cup and Cullen again mulled retirement, going back to Minnesota or staying in Pittsburgh. Finally on August 17, 2016 Cullen decided to come back to the Penguins. Rinse and repeat, another Stanley Cup and another long summer of indecision, this time with the final answer of going back home to Minnesota on August 16th 2017. Done deal, close the book on that chapter and we all move along, right?
Not so fast, my friend. Cullen’s name has been bandied about by several in the media for another return to Pittsburgh. The Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey confidently gave his take yesterday:
So, what will the Penguins do if they don’t add a third-line center?
You know what I think, and I’ve heard nothing in the past seven days to make me think otherwise.
In fact, I’ve become even more convinced Matt Cullen will be a Penguin by Feb. 26, maybe sooner. I think he’ll give the Penguins the flexibility down the middle and on the wing that they need. More so, his presence will help immensely in the dressing room.
That’s a pretty bold declaration there towards the end, bordering on an outright prediction. Nationally it’s gained steam and traction too, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman dishing the following nugget in today’s 31 Thoughts:
We’ve been patiently chronicling every potential add for Pittsburgh at centre from Derick Brassard to Mark Letestu to Jean-Gabriel Pageau to Tomas Plekanec to Derek Ryan and more. Depending on what Minnesota would like to do, would anyone be surprised if the answer turned out to be Matt Cullen?
The answer is, yes, why yes I would be pretty surprised.
Cullen hasn’t had a smooth year on the ice this year and was even made a healthy scratch for two games earlier in the season, though Wild coach Bruce Boudreau cited the reason as more to keep gas in the tank for the 41-year old forward, now the oldest player in the league with the departure of Jaromir Jagr.
To that end, Cullen did play 14:18 last night in Minnesota’s 6-2 win over St. Louis. At 29-19-5, Minnesota is clinging to the last spot in the playoffs in the West right now, would they really be interested in trading a NHL player away and presumably making their team worse since they don’t have anyone else better than him to play?
And, the real sticker, why would Cullen want to come back to Pittsburgh? He made it abundantly clear that the key factor in his tough decision was for his family to settle and get roots for his three kids in Minnesota. Taking them away now (in the middle of a school year) runs counter to that whole decision. The idea of separating the family temporarily seems even less likely given the emphasis the Cullen’s have on family.
Another aspect the reunion doesn’t quite make sense for is the way Cullen is playing. His 39.0% Corsi For % ranks 421 out of 424 NHL forwards with 150+ minutes played this season. Relative to his teammates, it’s only 420/424. He’s only scored 4 goals and added 7 assists in 51 games. Quite frankly, Cullen is playing like a 41-year old, which isn’t a knock or shocking development but an important one to remember that this is no longer the player who scored 16 goals just two seasons ago. Time and age can move that quickly on an ancient (for NHL standards) player.
Given that Rutherford and Cullen have mutual respect and no doubt the players on the Pens have a lot of love for Cullen, the easiest thing to believe of this whole angle is that Pittsburgh is willing to overlook the tangible stats and would happily welcome Cullen back. In fact, that’s pretty much a given. However why Minnesota would want to trade an NHL player in the midst of a playoff run, and why Cullen would be interested in returning? That’s what doesn’t add up.
Still, with so much smoke in the media and the decisiveness of Mackey (a reasonable and knowledgeable guy) it’s worth keeping in mind as the trade deadline approaches.
Because the chapters of the Matt Cullen book just never quite seem to end, and despite all evidence to the contrary maybe just maybe there is another story to tell for Pittsburgh in his saga.
UPDATE: Yesterday it was spotted in The Athletic that even the Minnesota reporters (below Michael Russo) have “Cullen to the Pens” on their minds as a possibility as well, where in previewing the trade deadline for the Wild, Russo mentioned this as a part of the status:
Coach Bruce Boudreau hasn’t been enamored with Matt Cullen’s play, so it would not be shocking if Cullen was traded back to Pittsburgh, where he won consecutive Stanley Cups, as long as Fletcher was convinced he had the depth to replace him.