Blue Jackets Send Zherdev and Fritsche to the Rangers

[AVALANCHE FAN]

By Bob Hunter
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

From the tone on some message boards, you'd think Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson was breaking up the Stanley Cup champions.

Some of the most vocal complainers made it sound as if trading Nikolai Zherdev to the New York Rangers for two defensemen was akin to the Pittsburgh Penguins giving away Sidney Crosby for a sack of pucks. One person used the word "horrifying." Another called it "the worst trade ever." Even with my computer safely shut down and surrounded by a firewall thicker than the Berlin Wall, I couldn't escape the madness.

"They traded Zherdev for two defensemen?" my son erupted. "That's ridiculous. That's c razy. Zherdev is going to be a star."

Zherdev might be. Gilbert Brule, another former first-round pick who was shipped into the great beyond, might be another one. And Dan Fritsche might prove to be more than the hard-hitting grinder the Jackets thought he was. And Ron Hainsey, the puck-moving defenseman the Jackets didn't re-sign while they were looking for puck-moving defensemen, might score 20 goals while earning $4.5 million per season in Atlanta.

So what? This isn't a hockey fantasy league. We're not comparing the statistics of imaginary teams. The only number that counts is the one under the points column in the standings. In the complainers' anxiety over the trades, have they forgotten about the losing?

This Blue Jackets locker room was in need of a major shakeup. Even for an expansion team, missing the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons isn't natural. There were some good players on the roster, yes, but the team needed a makeover, and with coach Ken Hitchcock behind the bench, it needed to be made over to better fit his style of play.

Zherdev is an exciting player. He was a lot of fun to watch, and it's hard to see him go. But he wasn't exactly Hitchcock's kind of guy, and that made him the most expendable player because he had the best trade value.

So was giving up Zherdev for two big puck-moving defensemen a bad move? It's hard to say. I'm still waiting to hear from a Jackets fan who watched Fedor Tyutin play every night to call me with a reasoned analysis -- and I'm not holding my breath on that. Tyutin might have a great career with the Jackets, but wouldn't it be wise to decide after seeing him play game after game after game?

If the Jackets had used all their free-agent money to land Marian Hossa, a lot of fans would have been thrilled. Hockey die-hards wouldn't have been happy; they know this team had more holes than that. But many casual fans would have been deliriously happy because he was the biggest name in the free-agent pool.

Big names get headlines. They make ticket buyers smile. They energize the fan base. It's the way of the world, and big-market general managers in every sport know that. It's why teams such as the New York Yankees spend so much on top free agents. Even if they don't win, everybody's happy, at least for a while.

Remember, this is about winning. Kristian Huselius, the free-agent forward the Jackets signed after the Zherdev trade, is talented and appears to be a better fit for Hitchcock than Zherdev was. Raffi Torres, a winger who came to the Jackets in the Brule deal with the Oilers, definitely is.

With hard-checking free-agent defenseman Mike Commodore, those two big Rangers puck-movers (Tyutin and Christian Backman) and former Flyers winger R.J. Umberger, it's obvious the Jackets now have the kind of players Hitchcock and Howson want, even if they're not necessarily the best ones.

This is going to be a much different Blue Jackets team than previous ones. Given the record, it isn't such a bad thing.

[bigjack]

Originally Posted by AVALANCHE FAN

By Bob Hunter
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

From the tone on some message boards, you'd think Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson was breaking up the Stanley Cup champions.

Some of the most vocal complainers made it sound as if trading Nikolai Zherdev to the New York Rangers for two defensemen was akin to the Pittsburgh Penguins giving away Sidney Crosby for a sack of pucks. One person used the word "horrifying." Another called it "the worst trade ever." Even with my computer safely shut down and surrounded by a firewall thicker than the Berlin Wall, I couldn't escape the madness.

"They traded Zherdev for two defensemen?" my son erupted. "That's ridiculous. That's c razy. Zherdev is going to be a star."

Zherdev might be. Gilbert Brule, another former first-round pick who was shipped into the great beyond, might be another one. And Dan Fritsche might prove to be more than the hard-hitting grinder the Jackets thought he was. And Ron Hainsey, the puck-moving defenseman the Jackets didn't re-sign while they were looking for puck-moving defensemen, might score 20 goals while earning $4.5 million per season in Atlanta.

So what? This isn't a hockey fantasy league. We're not comparing the statistics of imaginary teams. The only number that counts is the one under the points column in the standings. In the complainers' anxiety over the trades, have they forgotten about the losing?

This Blue Jackets locker room was in need of a major shakeup. Even for an expansion team, missing the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons isn't natural. There were some good players on the roster, yes, but the team needed a makeover, and with coach Ken Hitchcock behind the bench, it needed to be made over to better fit his style of play.

Zherdev is an exciting player. He was a lot of fun to watch, and it's hard to see him go. But he wasn't exactly Hitchcock's kind of guy, and that made him the most expendable player because he had the best trade value.

So was giving up Zherdev for two big puck-moving defensemen a bad move? It's hard to say. I'm still waiting to hear from a Jackets fan who watched Fedor Tyutin play every night to call me with a reasoned analysis -- and I'm not holding my breath on that. Tyutin might have a great career with the Jackets, but wouldn't it be wise to decide after seeing him play game after game after game?

If the Jackets had used all their free-agent money to land Marian Hossa, a lot of fans would have been thrilled. Hockey die-hards wouldn't have been happy; they know this team had more holes than that. But many casual fans would have been deliriously happy because he was the biggest name in the free-agent pool.

Big names get headlines. They make ticket buyers smile. They energize the fan base. It's the way of the world, and big-market general managers in every sport know that. It's why teams such as the New York Yankees spend so much on top free agents. Even if they don't win, everybody's happy, at least for a while.

Remember, this is about winning. Kristian Huselius, the free-agent forward the Jackets signed after the Zherdev trade, is talented and appears to be a better fit for Hitchcock than Zherdev was. Raffi Torres, a winger who came to the Jackets in the Brule deal with the Oilers, definitely is.

With hard-checking free-agent defenseman Mike Commodore, those two big Rangers puck-movers (Tyutin and Christian Backman) and former Flyers winger R.J. Umberger, it's obvious the Jackets now have the kind of players Hitchcock and Howson want, even if they're not necessarily the best ones.

This is going to be a much different Blue Jackets team than previous ones. Given the record, it isn't such a bad thing.

Like I wrote, anytime you trade the 4th player picked in a draft after only a short time you have to ask why? The other thing as I wrote is that Hitchcock is a good hockey man so once again you have to ask why?
I'd be more concerend with who the hell is doing the drafting or scouting for Columbus if they are getting rid of such high draft picks!
The best trades are the ones that help both clubs and hopefully that happens here. The only thing is calling Tyutin a puck moving defenseman is a bit of a stretch. He handled the puck like a timebomb especially on the powerplay and in the offensive zone and didn't remind anyone in NY of a puck moving defenseman unless if that means blasting the puck off the boards!