Turris traded to Ottawa for Rundblad, pick

Kyle Turris' stay in the desert is done.

The Phoenix Coyotes traded Turris, the third pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday for defenseman David Rundblad and a second-round pick in the 2012 draft.

Turris has 19 goals and 46 points in 137 career NHL games. He was a restricted free agent and missed the first six weeks of this season before finally signing a two-year, $2.8 million contract. The 22-year-old center was scoreless in six games with the Coyotes before the trade.

The move provides a fresh start for Turris, who said he expected to be dealt even after the signing.

"I think there was an understanding on both sides that we wanted to move forward and move on ... it was definitely made clear," Turris told reporters during a conference call. "I had known the last couple of days (a move was imminent). I didn't know the exact date or where, but I was given the heads up that something could possibly happen soon."

Rundblad was a first-round pick (No. 17) in the 2009 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues. The Senators acquired him for a 2010 first-round pick that became top prospect Vladimir Tarasenko. Rundblad has a goal and four points in 24 games for Ottawa, and was considered one of the Senators' top prospects before the season started.

"We are very excited to have David join our organization," Phoenix general manager Don Maloney said in a statement. "He is a young, highly skilled defenseman with superior offensive sense. We look forward to David joining us in the desert and becoming an important player for us in the future."

With Jason Spezza as his No. 1 center, Ottawa GM Bryan Murray hopes Turris will slide in to the second line. He was sorry to give up Rundblad in the deal, but said the need for Turris was more immediate.

"To get a top six forward, you definitely have to pay for it -- there's no doubt about that," Senators general manager Bryan Murray said about the deal. "We like David Rundblad and we think, three years down the road in our situation, he would have been a real good fit -- possibly as early as next year. But at the moment ... he was going to get shuffled aside likely for the balance of the year. To be fair to him and fair to us, we thought we could get an asset (that), with the type of game our team is playing now and the level our team is competing at on a nightly basis ... we think can come in here and add to the mix right at the moment.

"We hope Kyle is a good second-line centerman who will come in and play hard."

Turris said he's excited to be coming to a Canadian market -- and Ottawa in particular.

"When I heard I was traded to Ottawa, I was extremely excited to be a Senator and to be in a Canadian market, and all the fun that's going to come with that," said Turris, who believes he "really didn't fit" in Phoenix. "I talked to coach (Paul) MacLean this morning and he said he's excited to have me, and I told him how excited I was to be a Senator and that I'm looking forward to getting there Monday, joining the team at practice and getting to work."

MacLean is happy about acquiring a young forward who he believes will fit in well with his preferred fast-paced, skating-driven style. He said he expects Turris to be in the lineup when the Senators host Buffalo on Tuesday night.

"He brings the (style) I like to play," MacLean said. "He can really skate, he can shoot the puck and brings a dimension of speed to our team. It really solidifies that second-line (center) position that we're looking to fill, and we're excited to have him."