Turris on his way to Senators

The Ottawa Senators acquiredcentre Kyle Turris from the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday for defenseman David Rundblad and a second-round draft pick.

Phoenix general manager Don Maloney confirmed the deal, ending a rocky relationship between the 22-year-old Turris and the organization. Turris was involved in a contract dispute and missed games before signing a $2.6-million, two-year deal on Nov. 22.

"It's hard to parachute into the NHL season without a competitive training camp," Maloney said. "We had 10 teams with more than token offers for Turris, and three solid ones. We choose the deal with Ottawa as the best one for us now and in the future.

'We clearly differed on his game. We thought he would be better suited lower down in the lineup, and he didn't think so.' Coyotes GM Don Maloney on centre Kyle Turris

"It just was not right for us, and I didn't believe [Turris] beliefs about his status here was that deep. We had a timeframe, and Kyle had a time and this did not add up."

Turris has no points in six games since signing his new contract. The decision to make a trade was made on Monday after Maloney had a discussion about Turris with coach Dave Tippett.

"He told me this is not going to work out and I began looking for the best deal and move ahead," Maloney said. "We clearly differed on his game. We thought he would be better suited lower down in the lineup, and he didn't think so."

Turris was selected third overall in the 2007 draft and had a career-high 25 points in 65 games last season.

Rundblad, a first-round pick by St. Louis in 2009, has a goal and three assists in 24 games for Ottawa this season. He had 50 points in 55 games with Skelleftea HC of the Swedish Elite League last yearthe second-highest point total by a defenceman in SEL history.

"David is a work in progress and we think he will be an exceptional talent," Maloney said. "I believe you can never have enough defenceman, and he gives us a strong, right-handed shot on the blue line.

"He's like a quarterback on the power play, and he's a talented, offensive-minded defenseman. He has all the tools to succeed as an elite player in this league."