SB Nation - Erik Reitz

2009 NHL Free Agency: What The Toronto Maple Leafs Might Do

PPP — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:45:08 -0000

More photos » by Jeff McIntosh - AP

Mike Cammalleri turns his back on the Flames for the last time. Will he walk all of the way to Toronto?

Someday I'll have to shake the hand of the guy that decided that it made sense to schedule the draft three days before the start of free agency. It's not like this day is so important that it's a national holiday in Canada. As a conversation starter because I still have a tonne of draft stuff to come I have a short cheat sheet to help us with a starting point.

Pending UFAs: Martin Gerber, Brad May, Bates Battaglia, Andre Deveaux, Boyd Devereaux, Jeff Hamilton, Kris Newbury, Ben Ondrus, Jay Harrison, Erik Reitz, Jamie Heward, Curtis Joseph, Olaf Kolzig, Jaime Sifers (Thanks Mirtle!)

Calling this a list of notable free agents would have been insulting to players like Eric Christensen. From that list I could see Boyd "SchennBlocker" Devereaux, Brad May, and one of Kris Newbury or Ben Ondrus getting re-signed. The first two would be great veteran influences on the younger players and the latter two could fill up roster space while kids learn on the farm.

Pending RFAs: Mikhail Grabovski, ~~Jaime Sifers~~ ~~(NHL Numbers has him as an RFA and Hockey Buzz as a UFA. I am looking into this)~~, Phil Oreskovic, Tim Stapleton, Jeremy Williams, Ryan Hollweg

Justin Poggegot qualified today so he's not on this list. I am actually pretty surprised that guys like Sifers and Oreskovic have not been qualified. Hollweg is gone and we'll never know what that fifth rounder could have brought. Other than knowing it wasn't going to be a European. Williams seems to not be a Wilson favourite, he's not good enough to play on the top two lines when the team is good again and he's past the stage where he should have established himself. We'll always have the 82 goals/season projections!

Based on my inability to find any news thus far I don't think any of the other guys have been qualified. Grabovski is likely going to arbitration which I think will mark the end of his time in Toronto. I get the sense that Burke will move him if he goes that route.

Salary cap space (courtesy NHL Numbers): $13-million

Now, if you look at NHL Numbers the Leafs have some ridiculous cap relief coming online after next season. They only have $18M committed. On the flip side, they only have five guys signed but one of them is Luke Schenn so I think that means that only need to sign a goalie. Either way, there are a couple of ways that Burke can approach this free agency period.

Scenario One

He can fill out the roster with the myriad of RFAs that are getting axed left and right or the lower end of the free agency pool. Burke would then keep any of the kids that cannot play in their proper role on the team with the Marlies. This would be akin to the Red Wings' policy of developing kids in Grand Rapids but with our NHL team stocked with scrubs and waiver-tied prospects instead of Hall of Famers. This one is tough because the idea would be to have UFAs on one year deals so that the cap space is still available next year.

Scenario Two

This is the one Burke has said that he wants to pursue but he also wanted to trade for more first rounders at the deadline and for Tavares and Schenn at the draft. So far he's 0-for-2 (and I'll have a post about why that's not entirely his fault) so even then there's no guarantee that this will work. This strategy can work long-term if he makes the right decisions. Mike Komisarek at $4m-$5M is a bad move. The Sedins at $5.25M is a great move. We'll see how much he has to overpay to get players to come to Toronto.

Projected budget: $56.8-million less $1. Whether he spends to it will be a function of the UFAs' receptiveness to his deal.

Key needs: Everything is the short answer. The longer one is that the Leafs' most pressing need is their goaltending situation. James Reimer and Justin Pogge will hold down the fort with the Marlies but Vesa Toskala is coming off of three major surgeries. If Burke really thinks that this team can make the playoffs he needs a competent backup.

In terms of defence, the Leafs have two years of Kaberle, one of Kubina and Van Ryn, and then 20 of Luke Schenn. After that, they'll need to look at how to replace Kubina and Kaberle. If they can do it this summer then they can cash in those assets. If all of the king's men and all of the king's horses put Van Ryn together again properly over the weekend even he might get something for the Leafs. Or he could be part of the team going forward. Burke, however, is really loathe to let Kaberle go. I am hoping that by the deadline Burke gets his doors blown off by a deal.

Looking at the forwards, there is obviously a dearth of skill forwards that are NHL-calibre. There are guys that have the potential to fill that role at some point but no one is a sure bet. I hear that there are a couple of interesting ginger twins available...

Potential targets: It might be easier to list who isn't a target. Take one part cap space, add a dollop (actually, more like a cup) of Burkian hubris, a pound of media speculation, mix well, and you get every big-ticket player being linked to the Leafs. Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin are getting their retirement plan from the Leafs. Francois Beauchemin, Travis Meon, and Samuel Pahlssonare being re-united with their former GM. Jonas Gustavsson is coming over to be the next Henrink Lundqvist while Mike Cammalleri is going to live up to the expectations that come with a 40% raise. I look forward to watching him score 60 goals a year for five years.

As I noted above, there are two scenarios and it sure looks like Burke is going through door number two. I think that the Sedins are going to be his main target. I've heard The Monster is ready to be unveiled July 1 and I would imagine that Burke looks at Beauchemin. The rumours of Komisarek and Chris Neil sicken me so I will pretend that I've never heard of them.

What our rivals want:

Colorado Avalanche: A real starting goalie and defence that can keep the puck out of the net. Also, a new medical staff to keep their players in one piece.
LA Kings: A sniper to play with their young forwards and a defensive defenceman.
Atlanta Thrashers: Defence and goaltending. The only year they made the playoffs was the one year that they weren't in the bottom 4 or 5 of the league in goals against.
NY Islanders: I'll tell you what they don't need: a franchise scorer (sigh). Other than that, they could use a goalie on a 15 year contract that actually plays hockey, and defencemen.
Phoenix Coyotes: A new owner. Zing! Actually, as Godd Till noted in a private e-mail, they need to get a new coach in order to escape from the mad clutches of the Friends of Gretzky. Did you know that the best man from his wedding, Eddie Mio, is the Director of Player Development and his brother Keith is the Head Scout. Failing that they could use some veteran leadership since the average age of that team is about 12.

SBN has once again put together a massive hub to coordinate the writing from 30ish blogs. You can find it by clicking on this button.

a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/freeagency">

Rangers Player Grades: Part III

Rob Luker — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:00:14 -0000

Some of you may miss Petr Prucha (25), but I don't.

View full size photo »

With both the Rangers Defense and Offense graded and off to summer vacation, it is time to wrap up this review process with those who chipped in a bit over the 2008-2009 season but weren't around all the time for one reason or another. Any player that played a single game during the Rangers season that allowed them to be on the score sheet will be graded below (I have counted 9). If I missed anyone, please let me know. With that said, please enjoy and do comment.

#10 - Nigel Dawes (Age: 24) - Grade: C

Of all the players traded out of New York on deadline day, this was the guy I knew I was going to miss the most. I liked his game, to be frank. He was a hard worker and he has a scoring touch, along with the fact that he could throw his body around as much as he could and didn't get knocked over nearly as much as Prucha. In 52 games he had 10 goals and 9 assists for 19 points and a -2 rating. Will the Rangers miss Dawes? Time will tell, but I think not really. He would have been a nice third line winger for a couple of years as he develops, but I don't think he will be a stud anytime soon.

#45 - Dmitri Kalinin (Age: 28) - Grade: D+

At $2.1 million, Kalinin could have been a solid signing, but it did not work out that way. With Marek Malik leaving last season, Kalinin became the Ranger fans new scapegoat on Defense, playing an awkward game where it just seemed like he couldn't decide what to do quickly enough. I saw flashes of his old game with Buffalo now and then, but nothing consistent enough to keep him from getting heckled by the Garden Faithful. He had a great opportunity coming to the Rangers, but didn't seize it. In 58 games he had 1 goal and 12 assists for 13 points, not to mention being tagged with a -7 rating. I think most Ranger fans were relieved to see his name included in the Phoenix trade, because it just wasn't meant to be for Kalinin in ‘08-‘09.

#25 - Petr Prucha (Age: 26) - Grade: D

Not to sound like a pompous ass, but I knew Prucha was too good to be true. After his dip in scoring during the 2007-2008 season, many wondered what was wrong with Petr Puck. My theory was that he was a quick little player taking advantage of the new NHL rules and scoring, but that wouldn't last long. See, the last season before the lockout 5.02 goals were scored per game. After the lockout, it jumped to 5.94 per game in '05-'06 and dipped to 5.53 per game in '06-'07 (All statistics from Slap Shot). Because of all the new rules to increase scoring, many Defensemen were wary about what they could get away with, which is why a perimeter player like Prucha could excel because he could challenge Defensemen and they wouldn't know how far they could go. Well after two seasons of refinement the D-men figured him and all the rules out, and a standard was set amongst referees. Mark my words; Petr Prucha will not break 30 to 40 points again in the NHL with any club. He is a perimeter player in a league where more and more goals are being scored by getting inside the dots and in front of the net. Prucha gave us some nice memories, but it is a good thing that Sather decided to ship him out.

#49 - Dan Fritsche (Age: 23) - Grade: F

Fritsche gets to boast the statement of receiving one of two F's given out this year in this grading process. When the Rangers signed up for just under a million dollars, it was a head scratcher. He put up 22 points in '07-'08 with his home state Columbus Blue Jackets in an entirely different system, so I knew that the Rangers Fritsche marriage probably wasn't going to work. He's a two way guy, something we have plenty of, and seeing that he only played in 16 games for the Rangers, he could not make an impact at all for the Rangers. Fritsche was in Kalinin's boat this year, because for some reason it just wasn't meant to be.

#38 - Corey Potter (Age: 25) - Grade: C

This is a tough one, because I don't know much about Potter but I do know that he has been inconsistent thus far in his young career. He played in 5 games for the Rangers this past season, netting his first NHL goal and an assist along with a -1 rating. I can't remember him doing anything radically wrong, but ironically I can remember his goal, so a C will have to suffice for this young man. He will most likely get a long look next year depending on the Rangers defensive situation, so he better be ready for camp come September.

#42 - Artem Anisimov (Age: 20) - Grade: C

Another fun one (kidding). He played in two games for the Rangers, registering one shot on goal against Atlanta back in February. His prospect grade is a 7.5 (B) at Hockey's Future, so hopefully Anisimov pans out down the road. He will get a look next year at camp most likely, and I look forward to it because during Game 7 I like his size and his skating abilities without the puck. He gets a C for not pulling a Ryan O'Byrne during his two games this season.

#4 - Erik Reitz (Age: 26) - Grade: D

Reitz played in 11 games for the Rangers after coming from the Wild at the trade deadline for Dan Fritsche. He had no points, and managed to finish with a -4 rating. He was claimed off waivers on May 4 and went to Toronto. I thought Reitz could have really helped this team. He is best when he plays a stay-at-home style, but something didn't mesh with being a Ranger. Don't expect Reitz to be back.

#12 - Patrick Rissmiller (Age: 30) - Grade: F

Signing Rissmiller was another head scratcher just like Dan Fritsche. Therefore, the "Rizzle" gets to join Fritsche in the F group. He is a big man at 6 foot 4 inches, but cannot skate at an NHL level and somehow had two OK years with the Sharks from 2006 to 2008. There isn't much else to say about Rissmiller, as he only played 2 games with the Blueshirts and finished with a -2 rating. The fact that Glen Sather signed this guy to a 3 year/$3 million dollar contract is just absurd.

#56 - Michael Sauer (Age: 21) - Grade: C

The thought of a lineup with Staal, Girardi, Sauer, Sanguetti, and DelZotto all playing defense in a couple of years just makes me giddy. Sauer can easily be a top-six defenseman, and if he stays injury free along with developing any sort of shot he could break the top-four. He played 3 games with the Rangers in late March this past season, going +1 in a win against Atlanta and -2 in a loss against Pittsburgh. He will be competing for a look next season, and again it should be fun watching all these young guys try to crack a roster that will be looking for a spark.

So that is the last of the grades for this off-season in terms of looking back on 2008-2009. The past is now firmly the past for me, but looking back has given me a fresh perspective. The Rangers still made the playoffs this season, when at some points they could have easily messed that up. Expectations for next season will be right around where they should be, and that is a good thing because next season will be somewhat of an on-the-fly rebuilding year, whether Ranger fans want to believe it or not. Thanks for reading as always and have at it in the comments.

Leafs Deadline Recap

Chemmy — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:33:43 -0000

Six transactions today for the Leafs, Toskala on the IR, Antropov and Moore traded for picks, the Leafs end up in a salary dump with Tampa and the Leafs claim a few bodies off the waiver wire. Check out the details after the jump and discuss in the comments!

In	Out
Martin Gerber (G)	Nik Antropov (F)
Erik Reitz (D)	Dominic Moore (F)
Andy Rogers (D)	Richard Petiot (D)
Jamie Heward (D) (IR)
Olaf Kolzig (G) (IR)
2009 NYR 2nd
2009 NYR Conditional
2009 CAR 2nd
2009 TBL 4th

Leafs put G Vesa Toskala on IR:

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2008 - Vesa Toskala	53	3056	22	17	11	3	166	3.26	1518	1352	.891	1

Toskala will be having hip and groin surgery and will be out for four months.

Leafs claim D Eric Reitz and G Martin Gerber off waivers:

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2008 - Erik Reitz	1	1	2	-6	65

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2008 - Martin Gerber	14	839	4	9	1	3	40	2.86	397	357	.899	1

Gerber will be starting tomorrow night against Washington. Erik Reitz will report to the Marlies in all likelihood.

Leafs trade F Nik Antropov to the New York Rangers for a 2nd round pick in 2009 and a conditional pick:

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2008 - Nik Antropov	21	25	46	-13	24

This seems like a horrible deal unless Antropov absolutely couldn't be signed for below market value. Antropov will probably garner $4m on the open market this summer and could be a decent signing for the Leafs in the summer if Burke chooses to go that route. The Rangers won't have the cap room to keep him.

Leafs trade F Dominic Moore to Buffalo for Carolina's 2nd round pick in 2009:

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2008 - Dominic Moore	12	29	41	-1	69

Dominic Moore wanted more than $5.1M over three years and is gone. I think getting a second rounder for a waiver wire pickup is a nice job, and it's entirely value added by Ron Wilson. Moore won't even sniff $1.7M a season on the open market this season and if desired could be resigned cheap. I think he's a greedy piece of garbage who should be appreciative of the chance he got in Toronto.

Last but not least the Leafs pick up G Olaf Kolzig, D Jamie Heward, D Andy Rogers and a 4th round pick from Tampa for Richard Petiot.

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2008 - Olaf Kolzig	8	410	2	4	1	0	25	3.66	245	220	.898	0

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2008 - Jamie Heward	0	2	2	-1	4

This is a move to get Tampa into revenue sharing territory, and save Tampa's owners about $625,000. In return the Leafs get a pick and a prospect. Heward and Kolzig are both injured and UFAs at the end of the season, they'll likely never play a game in a Leafs uniform.

Reactions

I think we didn't really get great value for Antropov, but I also don't know if he was refusing to re-sign in Toronto which changes things drastically. As much as I wanted more than a 2nd for Antropov having him walk for nothing would be worse.

I'm pretty happy about getting a 2nd for Moore, I kind of wish he wasn't a turd and signed here cheap, but here we are. Erik Reitz is a non-factor, Gerber is a stop gap to put someone in the net cheap for the rest of the season.

In the Kolzig move the Leafs spent $625,000 on a decent prospect in Rogers and Tampa's 4th rounder which is basically a late third. Slick move by Burke.

The most important move of the day is the subtraction. Losing Moore and Antropov is a lot of Toronto's offense, and losing Toskala for Gerber means more goals against - the Leafs are going to improve their first rounder drastically in the next few weeks.

Leafs Acquire Martin Gerber and Erik Reitz

PPP — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:15:31 -0000

The Leafs have picked up Martin Gerber off of waivers. This is apparently a humourous response to the senators trading for Pascal LeClaire. Leaf fans need no introduction to the hilarity that is Gerber. Below are his stats for a good giggle. Remember when he got the 'flu' and the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup? Yeah, he stinks.

Anyway, this means that the senators are on the hook for half of his remaining salary which is $3.7M for the year or about $400,000 for the rest of the year. Also, he is a free agent July 1. I would imagine that this means that Toskala is either getting traded (not likely) or getting shut down to deal with his imaginary injuries.

I know some people have had a hard time with this move and maybe it's because they part of the media so they are retarded. Bruce Garrioch had the following to say about the deal

Martin Gerber has been absolutely awful in Binghampton (in the AHL). He’s been beyond bad… I don’t know what the Maple Leafs are thinking. I thought Brian Burke was smarter than this.

And the clowns on the Fan590 are struggling to figure this out so I'll paint them a picture. For whatever reason, Vesa Toskala is not going to be the Leafs' goalie anymore. Rather than play Curtis Joseph Burke is picking up a goalie that will become a UFA July 1st. That lets him put a better goalie in net in front of the paying customers which is a consideration that Burke has mentioned frequently. Why not bring up Pogge? Because the plan has been and will remain to be to give him the reins as number one on the farm through a complete season and the playoffs. Why change the plan as a knee jerk reaction?

Martin Gerber

#29 / Goalie / Ottawa Senators

Height: 5-11

Weight: 211

Born: Sep 03, 1974

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2008 - Martin Gerber	14	839	4	9	1	3	40	2.86	397	357	.899	1

As for Reitz, I have never heard of him. Here is a picture and some stats:

Erik Reitz

#4 / Defenseman / New York Rangers

Height: 6-1

Weight: 222

Born: Jul 29, 1982

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Erik Reitz	42	1	1	2	-6	65	0	0	0	0	22	4.5

At least he has a nice smile. Here's his Hockey Reference page. Basically, he's Erik Westrum in defenceman form. I hope that these are harbingers of trades to come.

Gerber, Morrison claimed on waivers

James Mirtle — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:05:38 -0000

The waiver deadline was at noon today and four players have been claimed:

Toronto claimed Martin Gerber and Erik Reitz
Dallas claimed Brendan Morrison
Pittsburgh claimed Craig Adams

Everyone else on this list has cleared waivers. No one took Miroslav Satan or Gary Roberts.

Everyone's down on Gerber at the moment, but his numbers have been better than Vesa Toskala's and he gives the Leafs a chance to allow Justin Pogge to keep playing in the AHL.

The Stars, meanwhile, need someone to fill in at centre while Brad Richards recovers from a broken wrist, and Morrison fits the bill. He's really struggled coming off of major knee surgery in the summer, however.

UPDATE The Maple Leafs have announced that Vesa Toskala's season is over as he will undergo hip surgery in the near future. Gerber is sure to get lots of starts.

Bell, Gerber join many on waivers

PeterR — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:34:02 -0000

Well... I'd heard the climate for trades was a little cool, but it seems like a lot of teams have completely lost hope in their abilities to trade players, and have decided the waiver wire is the only option.

The Senators once again placed Martin Gerber on re-entry waivers to try and get rid of at least some portion of his contract, and maybe give the Swiss goaltender some chance to redeem his horrifically tarnished reputation as an NHL goaltender.

Defenceman Brendan Bell on was also placed on waivers, which seems a little odd because Bell has had a pretty good season as a Senators' depth defenceman, in my opinion. But I suppose with the Chris Campoli acquisition, and possibly the acquisition of another defenceman by tomorrow, there was no need for Bell on the O-Sens. Better to send him to Binghamton where he will get to play and genuinely contribute to that team's playoff run. Although there is a chance Bell will still play tonight against Calgary, Christoph Schubert will play tonight--either as a forward in place of Shean Donovan or, if Bell is claimed, as a defenceman.

Along with Bell and Gerber, though, a lot of rather big-name players have been placed on waivers. This includes, obviously, Sean Avery (who was picked up by the New York Rangers) and Lawrence Nycholat (nabbed by the Calgary Flames), but also Brendan Morrison, Miro Satan, Gary Roberts, Eric Perrin, as well as some lesser names including Peter Olvecky, Jon Sim, Craig Adams, Aaron Voros, and Erik Reitz. Plus former Senator Tom Preissing was not only put on waivers but also cleared yesterday, meaning the Los Angeles Kings couldn't even give him--and the $2.75M contract he's got next season and in 2010-2011--away.

I think it's safe to call this a trend. We'll see if there are more waiver drops later today or tomorrow, but it seems more likely that we'll see mostly trades for the deadline tomorrow, and these waiver moves were because the players weren't going to be traded.

And hey, if you're bored while browsing NHL trade rumours, check out this hilarious Eklund Rumour Generator, which comes with a disclaimer: It's all for fun. Don't take them to mean anything. Still, they've got a couple great deals involving the Senators:

Fleury to Senators? (e2)

According to sources within the Pittsburgh Penguins organisation, the Ottawa Senators are willing to part with D Anton Volchenkov, LW Jarkko Ruutu and RW Daniel Alfredsson to obtain the services of G Marc-Andre Fleury. Remember, you heard it here first!

Kessel to Senators? (e1)

According to sources within the Boston Bruins organisation, the Ottawa Senators are willing to part with C Jason Spezza, a Gary Bettman bobblehead, a bucket of fried chicken and RW Daniel Alfredsson to obtain the services of RW Phil Kessel. Remember, you heard it here first!

Ruutu to Panthers? (e3)

According to sources within the Ottawa Senators organisation, the Florida Panthers are willing to part with D Jay Bouwmeester and a 3rd round pick to obtain the services of LW Jarkko Ruutu. Remember, you heard it here first!

High-profile players placed on waivers

James Mirtle — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:37:04 -0000

Here's an interesting development: On the same day the Rangers claimed Sean Avery on re-entry waivers, about 10 other roster players have been waived in an effort to free up salaries or dump players no longer wanted.

Players currently on waivers:

Miroslav Satan, Brendan Morrison, Aaron Voros, Eric Perrin, Gary Roberts, Martin Gerber, Erik Reitz, Jon Sim and Craig Adams.

TSN is also reporting that the Flames have claimed defenceman Lawrence Nycholat off waivers from the Canucks. "Nycholat is a similar type player to Mark Giordano," said Flames GM Darryl Sutter. "We were prepared to give up a draft pick to acquire a depth defenceman."

My guess is a couple of these players are claimed in the next 24 hours. Why not add an asset for nothing in what will be a fierce sellers' market?

That Pittsburgh is doing some dumping gives you an idea that they're trying to free up payroll for an addition. The Rangers are creating room for Avery's contract, but the Penguins could free up room for another $3.5-million player if they can get rid of Satan's deal.

Splinters: Islanders-Rangers edition

Dominik — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:32:31 -0000

So the Islanders blew their shot at playing playoff spoilers. They get another chance tonight, hosting the Hurricanes -- five points out of eighth, trying to climb back in -- and they'll have one more crack at wounding the Rangers March 5 at home.

Game Summary | Event Summary | nhl.com Recap (AP)

If Yann Danis doesn't let that Gomez flubber in, who knows what happens? Since the Islanders couldn't manage another goal, probably just another shootout where no one is a loser because the people demand a winner. Sean Bergenheim's knee is hurting after the idiotic knee-to-knee hit by Rangers minor league D-man Eric Reitz, who courageously let little Petr Prucha do his fighting for him. Nice.

The Rangers "got lucky." No argument. These two teams seem like the goal-less draw type. [NY Daily News]
The Islanders "competed." Again, no argument. They just didn't score. [Newsday]
No really, the Rangers got lucky. Stick with the narrative! [Newsday/Zipay]
The Rangers had a pulse, they were "into it," said Drury. As was the little-used Prucha, the object of some Isles fans' desire. [NYT]
Lundqvist: "Felt weird to go into the third period with a lead." [NY Post]
Streit enjoying Long Island, talking about how the Rangers jumped the gun and ended up with Redden. Ha! [NY Daily News]
Did someone mention Redden and Streit? About that going for the "bigger" name for more money... [Newsday]
Rangers fans are understandably happy with Prucha and wish management would be, too. [Hockey Rodent | Scotty Hockey]

Wild Acquire Dan Fritsche for Erik Reitz

nathaneide — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:14:51 -0000

Dan Fritsche

#49 / Center / Minnesota Wild

Height: 6-1

Weight: 204

Born: Jul 13, 1985

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Dan Fritsche	16	1	3	4	-2	2	0	0	0	0	20	5.0

The Minnesota Wild have acquired Dan Fritsche from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Erik Reitz.

Hockey Wilderness would like to welcome new Wild team member Dan Fritsche from the New York Rangers. This marks the third relatively inconsequential roster move in a week going back to the Robbie Earl acquisition.

“Dan is a versatile player who can play center or wing, a determined player who makes the game harder on the opposition, and a winning player - he's won a Memorial Cup and a World Junior Championship for Team USA,” said Risebrough.

If that were true, then why has he only played in 16 games for a less than adequate Ranger squad? However, since shipping Reitz was part of the deal, it did remove an overmatched defenseman, and swapped one American for another.

So, seems like Risebrough has his trading shoes on. Who's next?

Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars: The Morning After

nathaneide — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:22:58 -0000

Dallas Stars 4-3 Minnesota Wild

via assets.espn.go.com

Final - 11.26.2008	1	2	3	Total
Dallas Stars	1	1	2	4
Minnesota Wild	2	1	0	3

Complete Coverage >

Frustration. I think that pretty much sums it up. You can't blame this one on the offense. They put home 3, and had chances upon chances upon chances. Yeah, if Gaborik or another finisher would have been out there it likely would have been out of hand early, but you CANNOT pin this loss on the offense. The Brent Burns as forward experiment needs to come to an end. Burns is doing very little good up front, and Erik Reitz is costing the Wild at the back. Both Reitz and Backstrom (who was mediocre at best yet again) need a game off on Friday against the Lightning.

I don't feel like going on and on tonight, so I'll post some of my favorite tweets from the Wild Twitterverse

Stars absolutely controlling play right now. Things don't look good for the hometown team.

Yep - Dallas goal. 4-3 Stars

Screw you Stars

This is embarassing... absolutely embarassing!!

Terhaar gave the Wild the kiss of death with the 7-0-1 stat with the lead after 2 and that the Stars hadn't come from behind in the 3rd

Man, another bad pass from Mittens.

Horrible loss tonight. Absolutely horrible.

What a ****hole of an outcome...too bad we couldn't get credit for the posts we hit...we would take away the game.

I counted 5 pipes for the Wild tonight and one net that Turco shoved off the moorings

Wild outshot 8-5 in the 3rd period tonight. This team needs to learn how to finish a game. They've not been good in the 3rd this season.

Ok, I think that sums it up. I'm not happy with tonight at all. If it were one thing, it would be totally different, but this is a pattern, and it's frustrating.

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

James Neal (2 G)
Loui Eriksson (1 G, 2 A)
Mikko Koivu (1 A - two goals waved off and three pipes)

Questions to Answer

Can the Wild get an early lead? If so, can they hang on to it without giving us a coronary? Yes. NO.
Can the veterans take over a game, please? Hmm, goals from Belanger, Nolan and Brunette. Yes, thank you!
Can the Wild take advantage of a weak defensive team and use the counter-attack to rack up the goals? No. They had good shots and quality scoring chances, but odd bounces, posts and Marty Turco cheating stopped the Wild from getting the 6 or 7 they looked to get tonight.
Will Burns finally find the back of the net up front? If not, should he really be there? He got one point tonight. Frankly, I think he's better in the offensive zone as a defensemen, not to mention better for the defense. This is killing the team.
Will the energy line of Clutterbuck, Pouliot and Boogaard continue to put on the pressure? Pressure, yes. No results, but I liked their play again.

Notes

James Neal recorded his first career multigoal game.
Owen Nolan's power play goal was his first goal since Oct. 25
Tonight's first period was only the Wild's second two-goal first period of the season.
Minnesota’s first period penalty for a faceoff violation was the team’s first such infraction since Dec. 10, 2002.

What the team is saying

TBA

What others are saying

TBA

The Game In Pictures

via d.yimg.com

via cdn.nhl.com

via stmedia.startribune.com

Video Highlights