Confirmed with Link: Penguins re-sign Matt Cullen (1 year, $1M)

[UnrealMachine]

Cullen's pre/post Sullivan stats are also relevant here:

- Pre = 28 games, 3g, 8p, 9g/82, 23p/82
- Post = 54 games, 13g, 24p, 20g/82, 36p/82

And this was done all at EV or PK. O PP points all season. If his legs stay at nearly the same level, he'll remain productive.

 

[ColePens]

Like everyone stated, too, even if he doesn't match those incredible numbers from last year - he still provides faceoff ability, overall depth, and great defensive work.

Absolute win.

 

[57special]

Jealous Wild fan here. Don't get how we didn't try harder to get him...I'm pretty sure it was down to the Wild and you guys.

Cullen is one of those glue guys that every team needs.

Got to play shinny with him and his son during the lockout. Does he ever NOT have a 5 o'clock shadow?

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Like everyone stated, too, even if he doesn't match those incredible numbers from last year - he still provides faceoff ability, overall depth, and great defensive work.

Absolute win.

This.

I know for years, we bemoaned our 4th line being an offensive black hole with the likes of Gladams.

But honestly? Cullen could score ZERO goals (from the 4th line - if he moves up, thats a bit different) this coming season and I wouldnt care. As long as he keeps the puck out of our zone and wins faceoffs to keep possession for the big guns, Im more than happy.

Like 57special says next ... he is a glue guy. Character. Those intangibles that we all make fun of. He has them. In spades.

Jealous Wild fan here. Don't get how we didn't try harder to get him...I'm pretty sure it was down to the Wild and you guys.

Cullen is one of those glue guys that every team needs.

Got to play shinny with him and his son during the lockout. Does he ever NOT have a 5 o'clock shadow?

Part werewolf

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Jealous Wild fan here. Don't get how we didn't try harder to get him...I'm pretty sure it was down to the Wild and you guys.

Cullen is one of those glue guys that every team needs.

Got to play shinny with him and his son during the lockout. Does he ever NOT have a 5 o'clock shadow?

Of course he does, for about 3 seconds after shaving.

Like everyone stated, too, even if he doesn't match those incredible numbers from last year - he still provides faceoff ability, overall depth, and great defensive work.

Absolute win.

At $1 million everything that Cullen provides offensively is a bonus. Hell, at $1.5 million a 20 point season would be perfectly acceptable.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

The Pens third and fourth lines had both regular season and playoffs two to four times the points of the third and fourth lines of every team that they played in the playoffs.

While doing the job that third and fourth lines do, absolutely shutting down some of the best players in the NHL when they could be paired against them. When not, like away from home, the Pens' top two lines played the other teams to a draw. Yeah, Crosby did not score much at times, but neither did Ovechkin or the other Caps being counted on, and back and forth. The Pens' possession numbers were ridiculous. One of the better stat guys did a chart showing the amazing job that Cullen line did in limiting possession of the top lines of opposing teams at one point during the playoffs.

Those kind of numbers were the special sauce for the Pens that makes them almost impossible to keep up with and Cullen was a very key part of that, especially in the shut down role. That scoring was gravy.

Crosby and Malkin were the decoys.

Limiting the other team to less than ten shots a period for most of the playoffs, often under 15 shots for the first couple of periods, five shots in that final period when the Sharks were down that won the cup, and goals from guys like Cullen, Rust, Sheary and Bonino, Bonino, Bonino won the cup.

 

[TheSniper26]

Love this signing. Aside from the obvious benefit of bringing back a guy that was great for us, this also has the nice knock-on effect of not having to crowbar Sundqvist onto the 4th line just yet. This lets him consistently play big minutes in WBS and really hone his game. I'm sure he'll still get a healthy dose of looks in the NHL from the inevitable injuries anyway.

 

[billybudd]

If Matt Cullen has another season like he did last year for the money he makes, I want a Cullen statue on Mario Lemieux place. Only half kidding.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

As an example, and the stat guy I was referring to looked at one game in the cup finals which was a microcosm of what Cullen brought to the table and how much the Pens relied on him and his line in that shut down role with Defensive Zone responsibilities:





The goals were simply gravy. That he scored at all with those heavy defensive responsibilities is amazing.

 

[Koempel]

Awesome. Definitely showed what it means to be a smart hockey player. Not really worried about his goal totals. He probably won't score as many as last year, but his intelligent play will surely get him to more than 10 (injuries notwithstanding). It is not like his probable line mates are Glass and Adams.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Good.

They'll need the depth at center next year.

 

[XanderCrews34]

His wheels were so much better than I thought they would be.

I think he can reproduce what he did last year, or close to it. He didn't really slow down until his injury in the PO's. He was one of the 2 or 3 best players against NYR in the first round. He was rock-solid defensively after his injury, but you could tell a difference.

I was concerned that he ran out of gas and if that meant he could be relied on for 2017...but hearing that it was really because he was hurt, I'm much more optimistic he can continue looking like 2016-Matt Cullen.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The wheels fall off fast at that age. And I certainly wouldn't count on 17 goals, again.

But yeah... I'm pretty sure he can at least be most of what he was last season. Which is still very, very helpful.

 

[Wildfish]

Congrats from a Wild fan on the signing. I'm biased, been a big fan of his for a long time, ever since he stopped and spent minutes talking to my young son when he was a young player with Anaheim. I loved watching him in the Playoffs for the Pens, out there for so many key draws. He was much MUCH more than a 4th Line Center for Pit last Playoffs. He's been known for years as a workout fanatic, I'm not surprised he's lasted so long the way he's been so dedicated about taking care of himself.

And, yes, he really is about the nicest guy you'll ever meet!

 

[Ugene Magic]

He was a 1st/2nd/3rd line center. He has always been a 30/40 point player and has been part of being a two way guy taking on the tough minutes against other teams top players. If not for Bonino he'd be their 3rd line center.

8/10 goals and 20+ points from the 4th line mostly is depth this team never saw.

So anything he provides getting some good minutes after the top 3 lines are out is a clear bonus for him and the team, and he even eats the D-zone a lot.

Amazing, but not really.

The trickle down effect of the Pens wearing teams down.

 

[JTG]

He wants another one.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Again, goals from Cullen are not the point, though a great addition.

He spent 57 of 82 shifts against SJ in the cup finals as a defensive zone start. Only 6 offensive zone. He was given the chore of shutting down the top lines of opposing teams, and we saw how ineffective teams were, especially top players, in the playoffs.

The focus on how many goals he can and will score are by far the least part of his game that matters. That he scored 0 goals and 0 assists against SJ in the cup finals but averaged almost 13.5 minutes a game and when he was on the ice for the most part SJ did not score either. He is such a bargain at 1 million dollars a year even if he does not hit the score sheet at all next year.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Again, goals from Cullen are not the point, though a great addition.

He spent 57 of 82 shifts against SJ in the cup finals as a defensive zone start. Only 6 offensive zone. He was given the chore of shutting down the top lines of opposing teams, and we saw how ineffective teams were, especially top players, in the playoffs.

The focus on how many goals he can and will score are by far the least part of his game that matters. That he scored 0 goals and 0 assists against SJ in the cup finals but averaged almost 13.5 minutes a game and when he was on the ice for the most part SJ did not score either. He is such a bargain at 1 million dollars a year even if he does not hit the score sheet at all next year.

I/We get that.

The point of the matter, that there is a 82 game season coming up and not a 6 game sample size they are moving into. I doubt they will run the guy into the ground using that method for 82 and possible 20+ after.

I would be shocked if he didn't do the 8+ goals and 20+ points, and yes it does matter over those 82 games that he helps out. It's the difference in winning 1/3 more games possibly.

To say it is not important is to say all the ones he did score/help score didn't make a difference in all the games before.

I called him "Johnny on the spot" because he came up with some goals where you don't expect them.

 

[Fordy]

The wheels fall off fast at that age. And I certainly wouldn't count on 17 goals, again.

But yeah... I'm pretty sure he can at least be most of what he was last season. Which is still very, very helpful.

before knowing what he would do for this team last season i assumed/hoped he was a guy that wouldn't be expected to play every game and could be rested for sunny to play on occasion. kinda hoping again that they do that, though i doubt they'd even consider it. he was such a monster in the playoffs, i don't want to waste what he has left on the regular season

 

[Gurglesons]

I/We get that.

The point of the matter, that there is a 82 game season coming up and not a 6 game sample size they are moving into. I doubt they will run the guy into the ground using that method for 82 and possible 20+ after.

I would be shocked if he didn't do the 8+ goals and 20+ points, and yes it does matter over those 82 games that he helps out. It's the difference in winning 1/3 more games possibly.

To say it is not important is to say all the ones he did score/help score didn't make a difference in all the games before.

I called him "Johnny on the spot" because he came up with some goals where you don't expect them.

I feel like I really dug what Cullen did for the game of Kuhnhackl and Rust. I really like that as a fourth line.

 

[JTG]

Sid, Bonino, and Cullen give us 3 centers you don't fear having out there for big defensive zone draws.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I feel like I really dug what Cullen did for the game of Kuhnhackl and Rust. I really like that as a fourth line.

hell, while Geno was hurt I really dug that as a 3rd line

As for Cullen's production, we need to remember that some of that scoring came on the 2nd and 3rd lines. Which I don't say as a bad thing. Its awesome that Cullen was able to center a 2nd line well enough to stay afloat for a little bit. He was a legitimately good 3rd line center for a good chunk of last year too. Having a guy that can fill those roles (even if only for a while) on the 4th line is a great thing.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Cool quote

And off the ice, my family just fell in love with it. To be honest, it felt a lot like home to us, it felt a lot like Minnesota. … I don’t want to sound foolish, but I kind of expected it’d feel more like an East Coast city, but the people felt like Midwest people. Everybody is nice. Everybody says hi. I was just so pleasantly surprised with the people, and the area was nice, a lot nicer than I expected. So it was one of those things where I was like, ‘Holy cow, I really like it here.’ So often we’d come home and think, ‘Gosh, everybody is so nice here.’ That goes a long way.â€

http://blog.triblive.com/chipped-ice/2016/08/18/cullen-talks-about-his-sticking-with-the-penguins/

 

[Ugene Magic]

I'm referring to trades like Winnik, lovejoy, and choosing mike Johnson. Those were all pretty awful decisions his first year on the job.

I also wasn't a fan of the James Neal trade, he should have gotten a nice asset with Hornqvist instead of that Spaling scrub who ate up cap dollars which had them dressing 5d in a playoff push.

I wasn't a fan of some of the moves, either. But the guy was coming into a bleek situation, there was a lot to fix. Most didn't like him and chastised his work in Carolina, but he had an on again/off again budget.

Here, he has practically a open checkbook for years to come.

JR got pretty close to instant success.

It's weird how it all came together, but he built a cup winner by the end of his second season here. It looked like everything was screwed and then it wasn't.

1st season:
Neal for Hornqvist and Spaling - debated until the cup win, Spaling was irrelevent and I really would have preferred a 2nd
Despres for Lovejoy - Still
Added Winnik and Lapierre
Bortuzzo for Cole
1st for Perron - underachieved for the most part for a higher than expected pick
Johnston was ultimately a disaster
Near disaster with them almost missing the playoffs and then losing in 5.

2nd season:
Gets Kessel
Gets Bonino for Sutter
Gets Fehr
Gets Cullen
Dumoulin up full time
Team is struggling, Sullivan becomes HC in December when the team is dead in the water
Dupuis retires
Scuderi for Daley
Perron for Hagelin
Youth arrives
Schultz for insurance, ends up playing in the finals
Cup

It was more like a season and a half when everything was in place, and that is close.

Nothing but high praises for him even with the few that had me scratching my head.

He wasn't afraid to take a step back to make 2/3 forward.

 

[Jacob]

Hopefully Sundqvist gets to play with skilled wingers in the AHL and in offensive situations. I think his O game is underrated and largely untapped.