Jarkko Ruutu traded to Anaheim for a 6th Round Pick

Joining the mass exodus out of Ottawa is Jarkko Ruutu, who has been traded to the Anaheim Ducks for a 6th round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. The pick is actually the Phoenix Coyotes' 6th rounder, not the Ducks'.

Ruutu endeared himself to Ottawa Senators fans with his shenanigans and his excellent chemistry last season (particularly during the playoffs) with Chris Neil and Chris Kelly. However, he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and at age 35 he wasn't in the Senators' plans going forward.

Is a sixth-round draft pick the best possible value for Ruutu? Likely not, but it's hardly unfair. He's 35, has only put up 10 points so far this season, and has looked utterly disinterested in most of his games. Getting anything for him rather than let him walk away is a smart move by the Senators. When we looked at the possibility of Ruutu being traded last week, Varada noted comparables in Scott Walker and Jody Shelley, who were traded for a 7th round pick and a 6th round pick respectively.

With Ruutu, Chris Kelly, and Mike Fisher gone, Ottawa's penalty kill just got a whole lot worse over the course of a week. Not like that matters at this point, though -- in fact, that's likely part of "the plan" that Bryan Murray keeps referring to.