Turris to Ottawa

			2011/2012 Stats				Contract Details
To Ottawa	Position	Age	GP	G	A	P	Years	Cap Hit
Kyle Turris	Forward	22	6	0	0	0	2	$1.4 million
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To Phoenix	Position	Age	GP	G	A	P	Years	Cap Hit
David Rundblad	Defense	21	24	1	3	4	2	$1.5 million
2012 2nd Round Draft Pick

A deal, which has been months in the process, finally occurred for the Phoenix Coyotes, as they dealt young forward Kyle Turris to the Ottawa Senators, ending a lot of speculation of a deal, after an early season contract holdout situation this year. Turris was dealt to the Senators for young defenseman David Rundblad and a 2nd round pick, which is an awfully high price for a player that hasn't proven himself in the NHL yet, but there is potential for this deal to work out.

In Turris, the Senators will receive a centre that was taken 3rd overall in 2007, but never really blossomed to be the player that the Coyotes were looking for, when they took him a lot higher than many people expected him to go.  Turris has shown very few flashes of offensive brilliance in his limited amount of NHL experience, but there is certainly some belief that the potential hasn't dried up for him yet.  Turris' career-high in points is only 25, which came last season and he has spent the bulk of his time in the Coyotes organization in the AHL, but a fresh start could be very beneficial.

The Coyotes picked up a pretty good ransom for the young centre, getting a highly-touted offensive defenseman in Rundblad, a guy who was going to figure into the Senators long-term plans on the blueline, but was deemed a reasonable cost for a potential 2nd line centre.  Rundblad has struggled some with the Senators this season, but there is plenty of upside for him, as he'll join a few other talented young defensemen in the desert, like Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

The Coyotes get an extra little bonus, as they acquire a 2nd round pick from the Senators, which just packs on the pressure for Turris to get something done in Ottawa, as the scouting staff could always use a little bit more to work with in June.

Of course, cap-wise, this deal is pretty well a wash for the 2012 season, the Coyotes will gladly take on the pro-rated $100,000 between the two players, eliminating the controversy from the organization and probably the dressing room as well.  Each player is signed through the 2013 season, where they will be restricted free agents at the end of their respective deals.

Well, this deal resonates in the bottom-third of the draft pool, as Ryan M., the 18th place team sees Turris traded, while Derek W., the 21st place team sees Rundblad head the other way.  Ryan is on the move up the standings, so the change in scenery will be good for him, in theory, while Derek has a longer shot of improvement, since it is only a blueliner getting moved in this deal.  This deal really doesn't rock the socks off of anyone, definitely won't have any effect on the money this year.

By all indications, any deal for Turris was going to be expensive for the team that ended up getting him. Indeed it was for the Senators, but with the loss of their top goal scorer, Milan Michalek, to a concussion and the slow emergence of Jared Cowen on the back end, spending a young defender and a pick to get some help up front doesn't exactly look that bad.  The price was steep and Turris doesn't have a great deal of time to endear himself to the Senators faithful, so his returns better be solid or he could be vilified quite quickly.