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Matt Cullen: Officially announces retirement
Cullen announced his retirement Wednesday.
Cullen revealed in April that he was considering retirement, and after consulting with friends and family, he's decided to walk away from the game. The 42-year-old registered 20 points over 71 games with Pittsburgh during his final season of action, his lowest total of his 14-year career.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Still mulling retirement
Cullen told reporters Thursday that he would talk it over with his family about whether to retire ahead of next season, Sam Kasan of Pens Inside Scoop reports.
Given his leadership in the locker room, ability to kill penalties, and relationship with general manager Jim Rutherford, it's hard to imagine the Penguins wouldn't offer Cullen another one-year deal if he does decide to continue playing, especially considering he only cost the club $650,000 this season. The 42-year-old will likely take a few weeks to weigh his options. Regardless of his decision, Cullen will go down as a fan favorite, despite playing for just three seasons in the Steel City.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Key player in Sunday's win
Cullen had a goal and an assist in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Hurricanes.
The Penguins' fourth line of Cullen, Garrett Wilson and Adam Johnson were really dialed in on Sunday. Cullen has goals in two of his last three games, and seems to save his best for the end of the season and in the playoffs.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Scores goal in win
Cullen found the back of the net against the Rangers on Monday, ending his 27-game goal drought.
Cullen is averaging 11:29 of ice time this season, with 2:17 of that coming shorthanded, so he isn't getting a lot of chances to find the back of the net. The 42-year-old's offensive contributions might be limited, but he continues to be a critical member of the penalty kill and a stabilizing locker room presence.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Notches assist
Cullen garnered a helper versus the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Any offensive contributions coming out of Cullen are bonuses for the club, as the 42-year-old is on the team to provide veteran leadership in the locker room and to kill penalties on the ice. The center is averaging 11:32 of ice time this season and 2:09 of that comes in shorthanded situations. Invaluable to the franchise, Cullen won't offer much in terms of production for fantasy owners.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Hard work pays off
Cullen picked up an assist on Bryan Rust's shorthanded goal Wednesday, helping Pittsburgh defeat the Oilers, 3-1.
The 42-year-old has 16 points in 42 games and will periodically pitch in a point here and there, but the fact remains Cullen is not a viable fantasy option in 2019. The veteran is averaging just 11:38 of ice time per game, the lowest mark of his career. He finished a plus-2 versus the Oilers.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Slides into third-line role
Cullen was bumped up to the Pens' third line against Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
With Derick Brassard (upper body) sidelined, Cullen was promoted to the third line alongside Tanner Pearson and Patric Hornqvist. Unsurprisingly, the veteran logged 14:53 of ice time, his second-highest total this season. The Minnesota native will likely drop back to the fourth line once Brassard returns, though Cullen's promotion could become permanent if Brassard is shipped out at the trade deadline.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Riding three-game point streak
Cullen scored a goal and an assist in Friday's 4-0 win over the Jets.
That's now four points in three games for the 42-year-old center, although his totals on the season (four goals and 10 points in 30 games) are far more modest. Cullen's role on the fourth line doesn't offer much fantasy potential, but the Penguins are deep enough on the wins that he still has decently talented linemates, giving him opportunities to make an occasional splash.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Two points since return
Cullen has two points and 10 shots on net in seven games since returning from a lengthy lower-body injury.
At this point, Cullen is a veteran presence for Pittsburgh's fourth line. He's 42 years old, after all, and has averaged only 11:40 per game in ice time. At this point in his career, Cullen isn't likely to be able to take on a big enough role to move the fantasy needle.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Taken off IR
Cullen (lower body) has been activated off injured reserve ahead of Wednesday's matchup with Chicago, per the NHL media site.
While technically still considered a game-time call based on coach Mike Sullivan's comments after practice Wednesday, the fact that the team removed Cullen's IR designation all but guarantees he will suit up versus the Hawks. The veteran figures to slot into a fourth-line center role, while Garrett Wilson is relegated to the press box.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Game-time call
Cullen (lower body) will be a game-time decision ahead of Wednesday's matchup with Chicago.
Cullen has been making strides in his recovery and could be ready to go versus the Hawks. If the veteran center is given the all-clear, which requires him to be activated off injured reserve, Garrett Wilson figures to be the odd man out of the lineup. In his return to Pittsburgh, Cullen has two goals, two assists and 26 shots in 18 games while averaging 11:46 of ice time.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Sporting non-contact sweater
Cullen (lower body) won't be in the lineup against the Islanders on Monday, but did take part in the game-day skate in a non-contact jersey, Sam Kasan of Pens Inside Scoop reports.
Cullen appears to be trending in the right direction and could slot back into the lineup sooner rather than late. Once given the green light, the veteran should take his spot as the fourth-line center, which will likely force Derek Grant to the wing. Prior to getting hurt, the Minnesota native notched four points in 18 outings and was a mainstay on the penalty kill.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Resumes skating
Cullen (lower body) took the ice prior to Wednesday's practice, Sam Kasan of Pens Inside Scoop reports.
While it's certainly a step in the right direction, Cullen wasn't able to join the team for a full practice and is likely still at least a week away. Once given the green light, the Minnesota native figures to slot into a bottom-six role and, perhaps more importantly, should resume his duties on the penalty kill.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Designated for injured reserve
Cullen (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Monday, per the NHL media site.
Designating Cullen for injured reserve was only a matter of time considering the team is preparing for a long-term absence. The recently demoted Garrett Wilson could be in line for a promotion in order to provide additional forward depth with Cullen sidelined. With no clear indication on the nature or severity of Cullen's injury, speculation will abound as to whether this will mark the end of his NHL career.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Facing extended absence
Cullen is expected to be out long term due to a lower-body injury.
While the team didn't provide an update on how long Cullen might be sidelined, it certainly sounds like he is in the week-to-week category at minimum. Given the expectations, the veteran center will likely be placed on injured reserve to free up a roster spot on the team. The Minnesota native logged 10:45 of ice time versus Ottawa on Saturday -- relatively on par with his season average 11:46 -- and even managed to score a goal, so it's unclear when he may have suffered his injury. Riley Sheahan should find himself back in the lineup with Cullen unavailable.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Tallies goal against Calgary
Cullen scored his first goal of the 2018-19 campaign in Thursday's commanding 9-1 victory over the Flames.
The Penguins' trip to Western Canada has been good for a number of players, including Cullen, who now has three points in his last two outings. The NHL's oldest active player (41) figures to serve on the team's defensively-minded fourth line for much of the season, but he can provide solid depth scoring alongside Riley Sheahan.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Pointless through six games
Cullen is still searching for his first point of the 2018-19 campaign.
Cullen looked strong in the preseason, but he has struggled to produce in the early part of the year. The fact that the veteran has switched between the wing and his natural center position could certainly be a factor. While the team no doubt would like to get some offensive production out of the 41-year-old, the fact is he was probably brought in more for his leadership, penalty-killing and locker room contributions.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Performing well this preseason
Cullen scored on his only shot while playing 11:28 during a 5-1 preseason victory over the Sabres on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old is back with the Penguins and is fitting right in this preseason, already scoring a few goals. He's only going to be useful in deeper fantasy leagues, but it wouldn't be a surprise if Cullen scored around 12 goals and 30 points in a fourth-line role. He will also win a ton of faceoffs.
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Penguins' Matt Cullen: Notches three points
Cullen registered two goals and an assist in Saturday's 7-3 victory over Columbus.
While Cullen's leadership skills are probably his greatest contribution to the team, Cullen was stellar in his return to Pittsburgh. The 42-year-old paced the team with six shots and exploded for two goals and an assist in 14:32 of ice time.
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Player Bio
| HT/WT: 6-1, 202 lbs |
| Birthplace: Virginia, MN |
| Age: 47 |
| Shoots: Left |