Selected third overall by Chicago in the 2004 Draft, behind Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, Barker has four goals, 10 assists and 58 penalty minutes in 51 games with Chicago this season. He was tied for sixth among NHL defensemen with 29 power play points last season.

In his 10th NHL season, Johnsson has six goals and eight assists for the Wild this season. He is due to become a free agent after this season. Leddy was Minnesota's first-round pick (16th overall) last year. He has one goal and five assists in 19 games this season at the University of Minnesota.

Senators get Cullen

The Carolina Hurricanes traded center Matt Cullen to the Ottawa Senators for Alexandre Picard and a second-round draft pick. Cullen, a Virginia, Minnesota native, has 12 goals and 40 points this season in 60 games played for the ‘Canes.

The 33-year old forward was drafted 35^th overall in the 1996 Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks before being traded to the Florida Panthers. He then signed as a free agent with the Hurricanes, where he won a Stanley Cup in the 2005-06 season.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are getting a defenseman who will be with his fourth NHL team since being drafted in 2003.

Picard, a 24-year old defenseman from Quebec, has four goals and 15 points in 45 games this season and will hopefully give the team a puck-moving defenseman that they can count on for their power play.

Cheechoo goes on waivers

Multiple sources are reporting that the Ottawa Senators placed right wing Jonathan Cheechoo on waivers.

The 29-year-old former Rocket Richard Trophy winner was acquired this season by the Ottawa Senators as part of the deal that sent forward Dany Heatley to the San Jose Sharks.

A former 56-goal scorer, Cheechoo has seen his numbers decline drastically ever since he hit that mark in 2005-06, and never caught hold in Ottawa, scoring just five goals and 14 points in 61 games for the Sens.

Cheechoo was owed $3.5 million this season and was set to become a free agent in 2011. The Senators, who recently took over the Northeast Division lead from the Buffalo Sabres, could use the cap space to augment their already strong lineup for a run in the postseason.

Earlier Friday, the Senators acquired center Matt Cullen from the Carolina Hurricanes for defenseman Alex Picard and a second-round pick in the June entry draft.

Ottawa also signed general manager Bryan Murray to a one-year contract extension. His current contract runs out after this season.

Rangers land Shelley

In a swap of enforcers, the New York Rangers acquired Jody Shelley from the San Jose Sharks and announced that Donald Brashear has cleared waivers.

The Sharks received a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2011 entry draft in exchange for the rugged right wing. Shelley, 34, joined the Sharks in 2008 and posted 285 penalty minutes in 137 games. He also had three goals and 14 points. In 514 career games with San Jose and Columbus, he has 1,310 penalty minutes, 16th among all active players in career PIM.

"Jody Shelley has been a tremendous competitor and teammate for this organization for the past three seasons,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a statement. “He strived to make a difference on and off the ice in San Jose and he was a leader in both areas.”

The trade clears badly needed salary-cap space for the Sharks, who have been forced to demote players on two-way contracts to their American Hockey League affiliate on a near-daily basis since the season began just to stay under the cap.

The Rangers needed an enforcer just as badly. As recently as Jan. 21, leading scorer Marian Gaborik was caught fighting Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Daniel Carcillo. They have since acquired Calgary Flames forward Brandon Prust, who has 29 penalty minutes in four games for New York. Shelley gives the team another option in fights.

May, Lundmark on waivers

The Detroit Red Wings, looking to shed salary space and open a roster spot for defenseman Andreas Lilja, placed 38-year-old enforcer Brad May on waivers Friday.

He has until noon Saturday to clear before he is expected to report to the Wings' American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Red Wings still need to clear $750,000 from their active roster to accomodate Lilja, who makes $1.25 million. May signed a PTO with the Wings in training camp before signing in October for the league-minimum $500,000.

According to reports, May was at Joe Louis Arena for Friday afternoon's practice, but did not skate with the team and was not made available to the media.

"He did a real good job for us, a real good teammate, a real good competitor, a good man," Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "But the reality is we're still in a business, and the dollars didn't add up. It just didn't work, so decisions had to be made."

May has played 1,041 games in his 18-year career with the Sabres, Canucks, Coyotes, Avalanche, Ducks, Maple Leafs and Red Wings. General manager Ken Holland told the Detroit Free Press that he has given May the 10-day Olympic break to decide whether to report to the minors or retire if he clears waivers.

Multiple sources also reported Friday that the Calgary Flames placed forward Jamie Lundmark on waivers. Lundmark had four goals and nine points in 21 games this season in a reserve role for the Flames.

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