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Kyle Turris apparently got his Christmas present a bit early this holiday season. Turris is no longer property of the Phoenix Coyotes. Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney has traded the young center to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for another young player in the form of defensemen David Runblad. GMDM also got Ottawa to throw in their 2nd round draft pick in the 2012 entry draft. The trade allows Turris a fresh start and the Coyotes to be rid of one of the two pieces of drama surrounding the franchise (ownership being the other).
The players involved:
Turris has never lived up to the hype he received as the 3rd overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He's scored only 19 goals and 46 total points in 137 games in the NHL. He has reportedly been unhappy with how his career has been handled by the Coyotes organization and had hoped to be traded prior to the season. He was a restricted free agent this off-season and sat the beginning of the season reportedly hoping to force a trade. When one didn't materialize he eventually signed a contract last month with terms that likely made the trade easier for Maloney to make. If he can replicate his play from last year's playoffs Senators fans will be quite happy with this trade. On the other hand, if he looks like he has the majority of his career then the folks up in the Nation's Capital will be tantalized by the skill of another high draft pick who fails to realize his potential. See Alexander Daigle.
Rundblad was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 1st round of the 2009 draft. He was traded to Ottawa a year later for the 16th pick in the 2010 draft. While he has reportedly struggled this year playing for Ottawa, it should be noted he's only 21 years old and is in his first year playing hockey in North America. Also, another plus in the deal is Rundblad is still on his entry level contract. With the Coyotes organization loaded with defensemen, the Swede will likely will be given time to develop.
Update: Links to others thoughts on the trade
Senators acquire Kyle Turris from Coyotes for David Rundblad and a 2nd round pick - Silver Seven
Phoenix gets a steal in trading Kyle Turris to Ottawa - ProHockeyTalk
Don Maloney ships Turris to Ottawa for Rundblad, wins - Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports