First it was Mike Fisher, then it was Chris Kelly and now it's Jarkko Ruutu that's heading out of the door in Ottawa as the Senators dealt him to the Anaheim Ducks for a 2011 sixth-round draft pick this evening.
Ruutu is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season and has seen his numbers dip lower than typical your Jarkko Ruutu statistics. But his presence in Anaheim with the likes of George Parros, Maxim Lapierre and Corey Perry will remind some about the Ducks' 2007 Stanley Cup team that bruised their way through the playoffs.
Anaheim GM Bob Murray talked about his newest Duck.
"Jarkko is an effective, two-way player that we feel will help us down the stretch," said Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray. "He's the energetic, gritty type of addition we were looking for."
Speaking to the media after the deal was announced, Ruutu talked about the his situation in Ottawa and the recent moves made by the Senators.
On when he knew he may be traded soon
It all comes down to how the team plays. When you're winning, there are no changes. When you are not winning and you're the bottom of the standings, you know there are going to be changes. With the year we have had, it's been a struggle. Going into free agency with my contract expiring, it's pretty natural that it would happen.
On Ottawa's changes
The biggest surprise is that guys like Fisher and Kelly got moved. But the direction the Senators are going is young. They have to make changes and stock up on draft picks. There have been coaching changes the last couple of years, so I think they have to look the other way.
On a conference call tonight discussing the deal, Senators GM Bryan Murray said he wasn't done dealing and expects to make "a couple more" trades before the Feb. 28th deadline. Alexei Kovalev's name has been heavily rumored to be on the move as he enters the final months of his contract. Defenseman Chris Phillips has been another, but he stated earlier this week that he wants to stay in Ottawa and could force that with his no-trade clause.
But back to Ruutu, our favorite memory of his in Ottawa will always be the Zamboni drive he took through downtown featuring the Jarkko-Vision cam to promote the Senators' season opener back in October:
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