Blue Jackets Send Zherdev and Fritsche to the Rangers

[Thrillhouse]

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman from the New York Rangers in exchange for forwards Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche, club General Manager Scott Howson announced Wednesday.

Tyutin, who will turn 25 on July 19, has registered 15 goals and 51 assists for 66 points and 159 penalty minutes in 250 career NHL games with the Rangers. Backman, 28, has tallied 21-51-72 and 150 penalty minutes in 246 career NHL games with the Rangers and St. Louis Blues.

"The addition of Fedor and Christian to our lineup has really improved our puck moving ability from the blueline," said Howson. "All strong teams are built from the backend out and we feel like we made significant strides in that area today."

A 6-foot-3, 210-pound native of Izhevsk, Russia, Tyutin was the Rangers' second pick, 40th overall, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He played one season of junior hockey with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League and two in the Russian Elite League before splitting the 2003-04 season between New York and its American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford. After spending the 2004-05 campaign with Hartford and St. Petersburg (Russia), he played his first full season in the NHL in 2006-07 and notched 2-12-14 and 44 penalty minutes in 66 games. Last season, he tallied 5-15-20, 43 penalty minutes and a +5 plus/minus rating in 82 games.

Tyutin (pronounced TYOO-tihn) has also captured three gold medals playing for Russia in international competition. This past spring, he tallied 0-1-1, six penalty minutes and was +3 in six games to help Russia capture the gold at the World Championships. He also won gold medals at the 2002 and 2003 World Junior Championships. In addition, he tallied 0-1-1 and four penalty minutes in eight games for Russia at the 2006 Olympic Games.

Backman was St. Louis' first pick, 24th overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He spent the next four seasons playing in his native Sweden before making his North American debut in 2002-03. He appeared in four games with the Blues that season and registered 8-19-27 and 66 penalty minutes in 72 games with the AHL's Worcester IceCats. As an NHL rookie in 2003-04, he collected 5-13-18, 16 penalty minutes and was +3 in 66 games with the Blues.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound blueliner spent the 2004-05 campaign with Frolunda (Sweden) and then spent the next two-plus seasons with St. Louis before joining the Rangers during the 2007-08 season. He combined for 3-15-18 and 50 penalty minutes, including 2-6-8 and 20 penalty minutes in 18 games with New York. He also appeared in eight Stanley Cup Playoffs games with the Rangers, racking up 12 penalty minutes.

A native of Alingsas, Sweden, Backman tallied 1-2-3 in eight games at the 2006 Olympic Games, helping Sweden capture the gold medal. He has also represented his country at the 2004 and 2005 World Championships, winning a silver medal in 2004, was named to Sweden’s 2004 World Cup of Hockey Team and appeared in the 1999 and 2000 World Junior Championship Tournaments.

[HordiBrusk29]

Damn the Rangers win this one rather easily....

[ScottRasner]

Wow rags just robbed the jackets!

[Thrillhouse]

This can't be real.

Jeff Finger must be included, heeeeyyyyyy-oooooo

[Grittzkey]

What the hell is CBJ doing?/

Zheredev finaly starts producing.. Fritsche is playing great and you trade them both for 2 ****ty d-men.

[Blouin]

anybody have any info on Fritsche? thanks
Go Rangers!

[nyislesfan45]

Wow, steal by the Rags if this is true, Tyutins good though.

[duda.radek]

I expected Prucha, but this looks very good for the Rangers

[nyrgoal]

I liked Tyutin. I thought he played well for the rags, but the jackets are deff getting the short end of the stick here.

[nyislesfan45]

Sources tell TSN the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers have completed a trade. The Rangers will receive Nikolai Zherdev as part of the package. Details to follow.

TSN

[SirYohans]

Originally Posted by Blouin

anybody have any info on Fritsche? thanks
Go Rangers!

Man, this move just made my day. Zherdev is an offensive specialist. Fritsche is a 3rd or 4th line guy that'll get u about 10 goals and 15 assists. Nice steal for us. HeeHee

This also means we might give some of outstanding prospect Dmen a shot now. WooHoo!

[thepolishkid88]

I guess jagr isnt coming back. good deal rags your upper management dosent overpay for everything i guess.

[bigjack]

Originally Posted by HordiBrusk29

Damn the Rangers win this one rather easily....

How much money do these guys make? I believe that Tyutin and Backman were making over 6 million combined. Sather needs cap room to try to sign some offense!
Tyytin never improved as a Ranger and when on the point on the powerplay was clueless! A good hitter and decent first passer but he does nothing great and is a number 4 defenseman!
Backman is a 5 or 6 defenseman!

[AVALANCHE FAN]

And the CBJ`s worthless GM trades away yet another goal scorer for garbage!!

[nyislesfan45]

Originally Posted by SirYohans

Man, this move just made my day. Zherdev is an offensive specialist. Fritsche is a 3rd or 4th line guy that'll get u about 10 goals and 15 assists. Nice steal for us. HeeHee

This also means we might give some of outstanding prospect Dmen a shot now. WooHoo!

The only thing is, Fritsche could very well put Voros out of the lineup.