Hockey Terminal
Be a GM

← All players

Photo of Matt Cullen

Matt Cullen

#7 · Centre · Pittsburgh Penguins

Born Nov 2, 1976 in Virginia, Minnesota, USA · 6'1", 202 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 35th overall in 1996 by ANA (round 2)

Trophy case

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2017-18. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Jay Beagle WSH · 22 P in 79 GP Tom Pyatt OTT · 22 P in 81 GP Michael Raffl PHI · 22 P in 76 GP Tim Schaller BOS · 22 P in 82 GP Troy Brouwer CGY · 22 P in 76 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

0102030401997-98: 27 points2797-981998-99: 25 points251999-00: 39 points3999-002000-01: 40 points402001-02: 48 points4801-022002-03: 33 points332003-04: 19 points1903-042005-06: 49 points492006-07: 41 points4106-072007-08: 49 points492008-09: 43 points4308-092009-10: 48 points482010-11: 39 points3910-112011-12: 35 points352012-13: 27 points2712-132013-14: 39 points392014-15: 25 points2514-152015-16: 32 points322016-17: 31 points3116-172017-18: 22 points222018-19: 20 points2018-19

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
1997-98 ANA 61 6 21 27 -4 23 75 39 0.44
1998-99 ANA 75 11 14 25 -12 47 112 41 0.33
1999-00 ANA 80 13 26 39 5 24 137 74 0.49
2000-01 ANA 82 10 30 40 -23 38 159 49 0.49
2001-02 ANA 79 18 30 48 -1 24 164 57 0.61
2002-03 ANA 50 7 14 21 -4 12 77 0 0.42
2002-03 FLA 30 6 6 12 -4 22 54 12 0.40
2003-04 FLA 56 6 13 19 -2 24 75 37 0.34
2005-06 CAR 78 25 24 49 4 40 214 26 0.63
2006-07 NYR 80 16 25 41 0 52 217 61 0.51 $2.875M
2007-08 CAR 59 13 36 49 2 32 137 33 0.83 $2.875M
2008-09 CAR 69 22 21 43 11 20 139 41 0.62 $2.875M
2009-10 CAR 60 12 28 40 0 26 137 63 0.67 $2.875M
2009-10 OTT 21 4 4 8 -7 8 58 12 0.38
2010-11 MIN 78 12 27 39 -14 34 150 39 0.50 $3.5M
2011-12 MIN 73 14 21 35 -10 24 164 46 0.48 $3.5M
2012-13 MIN 42 7 20 27 9 10 79 18 0.64 $3.5M
2013-14 NSH 77 10 29 39 4 32 134 18 0.51 $3.5M
2014-15 NSH 62 7 18 25 8 16 90 10 0.40 $3.5M
2015-16 PIT 82 16 16 32 5 20 118 40 0.39 $800K
2016-17 PIT 72 13 18 31 4 30 93 36 0.43 $1M
2017-18 MIN 79 11 11 22 -1 20 104 14 0.28 $1M
2018-19 PIT 71 7 13 20 6 14 87 32 0.28 $650K
21 seasons Career 1516 266 465 731 -24 592 2774 798 0.48

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
1998-99 ANA 4 0 0 0 -2 0 6 7 0.00
2005-06 CAR 25 4 14 18 2 12 56 27 0.72
2006-07 NYR 10 1 3 4 -2 6 23 9 0.40
2008-09 CAR 18 3 3 6 0 14 29 16 0.33
2009-10 OTT 6 3 5 8 -3 0 14 6 1.33
2012-13 MIN 5 0 3 3 1 2 8 3 0.60
2014-15 NSH 6 1 1 2 -1 4 11 6 0.33
2015-16 PIT 24 4 2 6 3 8 25 25 0.25
2016-17 PIT 25 2 7 9 -1 24 22 20 0.36
2017-18 MIN 5 1 1 2 -3 2 4 3 0.40
2018-19 PIT 4 0 0 0 -1 0 3 6 0.00
11 seasons Playoffs 132 19 39 58 -7 72 201 128 0.44

2017-18 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
79 11 11 22 -1 20 104 14 0.28 10.6 11:54

Contract

$1MCap hit2017-18
$45KCap dollars per point22 points in 79 games
$59KWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$941KValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. He rated at or below a spare-part player, so there is no cost per goal to show. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 691 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Who signed him to it, and when, are not on record. When it ends is not known.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
2018-19 to 2018-19 $650K
2016-17 to 2017-18 $1M
2015-16 to 2015-16 $800K
2012-13 to 2014-15 $3.5M
2010-11 to 2012-13 $3.5M
2006-07 to 2009-10 $2.875M

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2017-18 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2017-18 playoff analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+0.1Goals above replacementsix goals are worth about one win
+0.0Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
0.0Goals above averagethe five parts below added up
Even-strength offence+0.1Even-strength defence0.0Power play0.0Penalty kill+0.0Penalties-0.2

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. A playoff run is too short to rank anyone on. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

-2024682010-112012-132014-152016-172018-19Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

35.4Corsi for %34 attempts for, 62 against
-7.0CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
35.8Expected goals for %1.2 expected for, 2.2 against
-4.9xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
37.2Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
28.6Goals for %2 for, 5 against
98.3PDO11.8% shooting + 86.5% saves
9Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

These are left plain: he has not been on the ice enough to be ranked. That takes at least 200 shot attempts with him out there, about six or seven games, and a quarter of what the busiest skater has. Over a game or two these numbers are mostly chance.

Who he played with

Forward lineGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Matt Cullen · Charlie Coyle · Jordan Greenway327:3433.339.82-0
Matt Cullen · Marcus Foligno · Kyle Rau18:4833.348.80-1
Matt Cullen · Tyler Ennis · Charlie Coyle16:5518.25.00-1
Matt Cullen · Jason Zucker · Charlie Coyle34:1525.010.70-1

The lines he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's lines that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

1Goalsnot counting empty-netters
0.5Expected goalsfrom 7 unblocked attempts
+0.5Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.58 expected goals per 60 minutes32nd
Shot quality 7.8% chance per attempt72nd
Finishing +0.5 goals above expected55thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 75 who played at least a quarter as much as the busiest in these playoffs.

00.20.40.60.81Goals 1Expected 0.5

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took in these playoffs, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. There is a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. "Show as heat map" shades the ice by where the attempts came from. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 7, 2018 @ SJS W 6-3 1 0 1 2 0 2 0 13:55
Apr 4, 2018 @ ANA L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 12:30
Apr 2, 2018 vs EDM W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 11:42
Mar 31, 2018 @ DAL L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 11:04
Mar 29, 2018 vs DAL W 5-2 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 11:21
Mar 27, 2018 @ NSH L 1-2 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11:01
Mar 25, 2018 vs BOS L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12:01
Mar 24, 2018 vs NSH W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 09:13
Mar 19, 2018 vs LAK L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11:50
Mar 17, 2018 @ ARI W 3-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 12:43
Mar 16, 2018 @ VGK W 4-2 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 11:26
Mar 13, 2018 vs COL L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 11:00
Mar 10, 2018 @ EDM L 1-4 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 13:37
Mar 9, 2018 @ VAN W 5-2 1 1 2 2 0 7 0 13:28
Mar 6, 2018 vs CAR W 6-2 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 13:24
Mar 4, 2018 vs DET W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 12:26
Mar 2, 2018 @ COL L 1-7 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 13:28
Mar 1, 2018 @ ARI L 3-5 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 10:22
Feb 27, 2018 vs STL W 8-3 0 0 0 -1 2 2 0 14:07
Feb 25, 2018 vs SJS W 3-2 (OT) 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 11:55
Feb 23, 2018 @ NYR W 4-1 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 13:43
Feb 22, 2018 @ NJD W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 15:48
Feb 19, 2018 @ NYI W 5-3 1 1 2 2 0 1 0 13:50
Feb 17, 2018 vs ANA L 2-3 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13:02
Feb 15, 2018 vs WSH L 2-5 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 14:13
Feb 13, 2018 vs NYR W 3-2 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 14:32
Feb 10, 2018 vs CHI W 3-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 11:48
Feb 8, 2018 vs ARI L 3-4 (OT) 1 1 2 2 0 3 0 15:15
Feb 6, 2018 @ STL W 6-2 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 14:18
Feb 2, 2018 vs VGK W 5-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11:34
Jan 30, 2018 @ CBJ W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 1 0 3 1 13:45
Jan 25, 2018 @ PIT L 3-6 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12:29
Jan 22, 2018 vs OTT W 3-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 09:11
Jan 20, 2018 vs TBL W 5-2 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 10:23
Jan 14, 2018 vs VAN L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11:40
Jan 13, 2018 vs WPG W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10:37
Jan 10, 2018 @ CHI W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11:17
Jan 9, 2018 vs CGY L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 11:12
Jan 6, 2018 @ COL L 2-7 0 0 0 -2 2 5 0 12:03
Jan 4, 2018 vs BUF W 6-2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 14:30
Jan 2, 2018 vs FLA W 5-1 2 0 2 2 0 5 0 13:04
Dec 30, 2017 @ NSH L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 11:01
Dec 29, 2017 vs NSH W 4-2 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 10:59
Dec 27, 2017 vs DAL W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12:09
Dec 23, 2017 @ TBL L 0-3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 10:16
Dec 22, 2017 @ FLA L 2-4 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 09:43
Dec 19, 2017 @ OTT W 6-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 2 11:42
Dec 17, 2017 @ CHI L 1-4 0 0 0 -1 2 4 0 11:10
Dec 16, 2017 vs EDM L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12:54
Dec 14, 2017 vs TOR W 2-0 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 13:08
Dec 12, 2017 vs CGY W 2-1 (SO) 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 12:07
Dec 10, 2017 @ SJS W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 08:48
Dec 5, 2017 @ LAK L 2-5 0 1 1 1 0 2 1 12:40
Dec 2, 2017 vs STL W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 08:35
Nov 30, 2017 vs VGK W 4-2 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 07:52
Nov 27, 2017 @ WPG L 2-7 0 1 1 -1 0 1 1 09:29
Nov 25, 2017 @ STL L 3-6 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10:56
Nov 24, 2017 vs COL W 3-2 (SO) 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 10:07
Nov 22, 2017 @ BUF W 5-4 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 09:03
Nov 20, 2017 vs NJD L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 0 10:39
Nov 18, 2017 @ WSH L 1-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 08:27
Nov 16, 2017 vs NSH W 6-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 09:43
Nov 14, 2017 vs PHI W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12:43
Nov 11, 2017 @ PHI W 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 10:42
Nov 9, 2017 @ MTL W 3-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 09:35
Nov 8, 2017 @ TOR L 2-4 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 07:45
Nov 6, 2017 @ BOS L 3-5 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 11:53
Nov 4, 2017 vs CHI L 0-2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 10:47
Nov 2, 2017 vs MTL W 6-3 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 11:08
Oct 31, 2017 vs WPG L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 11:59
Oct 28, 2017 vs PIT W 2-1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 11:32
Oct 26, 2017 vs NYI W 6-4 0 0 0 -1 2 0 0 12:57
Oct 24, 2017 vs VAN L 0-1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 11:14
Oct 21, 2017 @ CGY W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 16:28
Oct 20, 2017 @ WPG L 3-4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11:56
Oct 14, 2017 vs CBJ L 4-5 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 18:19
Oct 12, 2017 @ CHI W 5-2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 12:13
Oct 7, 2017 @ CAR L 4-5 (SO) 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 13:10
Oct 5, 2017 @ DET L 2-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 12:53