It isn’t the blockbuster move Senators fans have been holding their breath for, or even one that will affect the NHL team for the near future, if ever.
In a very minor move, the Ottawa Senators have acquired minor league blueliner Patrick Mullen from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for “prospect” Jeff Costello. Mullen has been playing for the Canucks’ farm team in Abbostsford.
He is the son of Hall of Famer Joe Mullen, so once again the Senators get a name, but not the right one at the right time. He joins a list that includes: Jody Hull, Mike Brodeur, Sylvain Turgeon, Phil Bourque, Steve Larouche, Chris Luongo, Andre Roy, all former Ottawa Senators, who have relatively famous last names in hockey, but aren’t necessarily the players or the skill level you would have rather had that moniker attached to.
Mullen was undrafted from the University of Denver, and is in his 5th pro season, but has yet to reach the NHL level. He had been playing for the Utica Comets of the AHL, scoring 7 goals and 13 assists in 46 games.
Costello was a 5th round pick of the Senators in 2009, still attending the University of Notre Dame. He is a left winger who has 19 points in 34 NCAA games this season.
Mullen will report to Binghamton to shore up Luke Richardson‘s blue line for the stretch run.