Five Best Trades Of The Bryan Murray Era
4. Acquired Kyle Turris from Arizona for David Rundblad and 2nd round pick (Anthony Stolarz)
Mar 28, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators center
Kyle Turris(7) during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs beat the Senators 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
At the time of this trade I was a bit upset, and so were other Senators fans. It seemed like a lot to give up for a young centre that had his fair share of struggles in Arizona. Rundblad was supposed to be Ottawa’s next superstar defenseman, but 3 and a half years later he hasn’t done much to improve his game. Meanwhile, Turris has become a first line centre putting up 64 points this year, and 58 the year before.
Rundblad has been a 6th/7th defenseman on Arizona and Chicago, with only 104 games played in his career. I still can’t believe that this deal turned out as well as it did, because Rundblad was so promising. However, it ended up being perfect for Ottawa as they sorely needed a top six centre, and Turris was a fantastic replacement on the first line for the departed Jason Spezza.