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"From the New York Post, their perspective: \n\nJuly 18, 2007 -- The Rangers cleared cap space they might never need by digging a hole at center they're likely to have a difficult time filling. The Blueshirts traded Matt Cullen and his $2.875 million per year contract to Carolina yesterday for a pair of definite maybes and a 2008 third-round draft pick.  \n\nThe trade, in which the Rangers obtained 27-year-old depth defenseman Andrew Hutchinson and 21-year-old pivot Joe Barnes (whose 2006-07 AHL Albany season ended with a December concussion), creates a question mark out of what appeared to be an exclamation point of a position following the free agent signings of centers Scott Gomez and Chris Drury.  \n\nMoving Cullen does create an opportunity for rookies Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky - if not Barnes, the 64th overall selection of the 2005 Entry Draft - but Tom Renney's track record at coach suggests that he's far more likely than not to give third-line time to Blair Betts rather than a freshman.  \n\nThis stands to create a ripple effect on projected offense-minded third-line wingers Petr Prucha and Ryan Callahan, who had developed late season chemistry with Cullen. This holds true as well for young offensively-inclined candidates on the wing such as Nigel Dawes and Alex Bourret.  \n\nBetts, best in a fourth-line checking role, had four assists last season in 69 games. This also creates the situation in which the team will be scrambling frantically should Gomez and/or Drury go down for any substantial period of time. Cullen had 16 goals and 25 assists in his first and only year as a Ranger after leaving Carolina to sign a four-year, $11.5M free agent contract.  \n\nIf, as expected, Marc Staal earns a top-six spot on the blue line out of training camp, then the Blueshirts would probably choose between Hutchinson ($475,000) and Thomas Pock ($667,500) as their seventh defenseman, with Jason Strudwick ($500,000) ensconced as the final man on the roster.  \n\nNeither Pock nor Hutchison would be expected to clear waivers \n\nhttp://www.nypost.com/seven/07182007/sport...arry_brooks.htm "
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