Matt Cullen’s end in Minnesota was one that ended far too soon for Wild fans. He was a cap casualty when the Minnesota couldn’t buyout Dany Heatley. If you remember, Marc-Edouard Vlasic roughed up Heatley near the goal crease as a game between the Wild and Sharks ended with the Wild scrambling to tie the game in the final minutes. Heatley was then ruled for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury.
Since a player cannot be bought out when they haven’t been cleared by the team doctors, Cullen was unable to be re-signed because Chuck Fletcher was unable to clear enough space to give Cullen a respectable contract.