PITTSBURGH (TNS) – Matt Cullen, coming off a strong season with the Penguins, has decided to put off retirement for at least another year.
Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford confirmed Tuesday that Cullen has told him he plans to continue playing, and that the Penguins want to re-sign him.
Cullen was productive in 2015-16, primarily as a fourth-line center and penalty-killer, and was particularly effective during the Penguins’ drive to their fourth Stanley Cup.
Cullen, who will be 40 on Nov. 2, had 16 goals and 16 assists in 82 regular-season games, then added four goals and two assists in 24 playoff appearances.
He signed with the Penguins as a free agent last summer, accepting a one-year contract that paid $800,000.
Rutherford said the Penguins have about $1 million in salary-cap space available, so Cullen wouldn’t be able to get much of a raise from them, although teams are allowed to go as much as 10 percent over the salary-cap ceiling of $73 million until the start of next season.
