Rangers, Jackets swing four-player deal

Dan Rosen | NHL.com Staff Writer

In the midst of all the free-agent signings going on around the NHL, the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets managed to find the time to swing a blockbuster trade Wednesday.

The Rangers sent defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman to Columbus in exchange for talented winger Nikolai Zherdev and energy-line center Dan Fritsche.

Of the four players, only Tyutin is signed for the long term; his deal takes him through 2012. Backman could become an unrestricted free agent next summer, when Zherdev could become a restricted free agent. Fritsche is currently a restricted free agent.

The key components of this trade are obviously Tyutin and Zherdev, who was the fourth overall selection in the 2003 Entry Draft.

Zherdev, 23, was second behind only Rick Nash on the Blue Jackets in scoring this past season. He posted a career-high 35 assists and 61 points while playing in all 82 games for the first time in his four-year career.

Seven of Zherdev’s 26 goals came on the power play, and his minus-9 rating was much improved from his minus-19 in 2006-07.

Tyutin, 25, developed into one of the Rangers’ most physical defenseman, one who can also provide some offense. Tyutin had five goals, 15 assists and a plus-5 rating this past season. A knee injury softened some his production in 2006-07, but he had 25 points in 2005-06, his first full NHL season.

Backman, 28, came to the Rangers from St. Louis via a trade at the deadline last season and played on their third defensive pair, mostly with unrestricted free agent Paul Mara. Backman, who is 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, combined for three goals and 15 assists in 63 games with the Blues and Rangers.

Fritsche, 22, joins an already-deep group of centers in the Big Apple — a list that includes Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky and Blair Betts. However, Fritsche, who had 10 goals and 22 points in 69 games this past season, can also play wing.

While the trade appears to leave a pair of holes in the Blue Jackets’ offense — ones they may plan on filling with first-round draft pick Nikita Filatov, if they feel he’s ready, and newly acquired center R.J. Umberger — the Jackets’ defense has gotten much tougher over the last two days.

In addition to landing Tyutin and Backman, GM Scott Howson signed physical blueliner Mike Commodore on Monday. As presently constituted, Tyutin and Backman will join Commodore and holdovers Rostislav Klesla, Jan Hejda, Kris Russell and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen on the Jackets’ blue line. Aaron Rome and Marc Methot will be given looks in training camp.

Columbus lost puck-moving defenseman Ron Hainsey to Atlanta at roughly the same time Howson was finalizing the trade with Rangers GM Glen Sather.

The Rangers, who felt they upgraded their defense Tuesday by signing free agent Wade Redden and re-upping with Michal Rozsival, lose some toughness on their back end, but add a top-six winger in Zherdev and a solid role player in Fritsche.

It’s possible that Zherdev could replace Jaromir Jagr, who remains an unrestricted free agent, on the right side of the Rangers’ top line. The Rangers may be hoping Fritsche will provide some of the offense they lost when Sean Avery signed with Dallas earlier Wednesday.

This trade could also open the door for defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti, the Rangers’ No. 1 pick in 2006, to step in. Youngsters Marc Staal and Dan Girardi are returning as well, but the Rangers still need to add some defensemen.

Source: Dan Rosen / NHL.com