Ken Hitchcock on the Blue Jackets' new acquisitions

From Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch:

On Huselius: "He's really comfortable carrying the puck, and he can go around people with it pretty good, you know? Sometimes you have play-making centers and sometimes you get your play-making on the wing. I really like Huselius. I've liked him for a number of years. He's only 29 years old. He can score, too, but he really likes to pass the puck and get his linemates involved. I mean, the guy really fit in well next to Jarome Iginla, and now he's going to get a chance to play with Nash. I just think Rick Nash and Jarome Iginla have a lot of the same characteristics to their game, you know? They both know how to get to the net."

On Tyutin: "I know Tyutin really well. He’s still a young player, but he plays heavy minutes. He’s played on the second power play unit in New York. It's been Straka and Rozsival on the first unit mostly, but Tyutin's played on the second. He's a very physical, competitive player who makes a good first pass."

On Backman: "He's a transition guy. He can move the puck, boy."

Read more about the Jackets from Puck-rakers here.

Hitchcock seems genuinely excited about the three newcomers that Columbus acquired today. Granted, if he didn't then I'd be mighty concerned.

Rangers/Blue Jackets complete big trade

From TSN:

Sources tell TSN the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers have completed a trade. The Rangers will get Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche, with Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman going to Columbus.

Well, this is a doozy of a deal. To be honest, I like it from both sides. The Rangers solidified their defense on Tuesday with the signing of Wade Redden and that made Fedor Tyutin expendable. Additionally, they were looking for someone to take Christian Backman off their hands. This will enable them to have more room to spend under the cap. In this trade, the Rangers get a forward in Zherdev that has top-six talent. While he has been a bit of an enigma since he was drafted, he doesn't lack for skill. The Rangers also picked up Dan Fritsche who can solidify their third/fourth line. Fristche is feisty and is a solid up and down winger. His hands are nothing to write home about, but he is a serviceable young forward.

As for Columbus, they pick up two solid defensemen. The key to this trade for Columbus is clearly Tyutin. The young Russian defender is tough, can log big minutes and is a very solid defensive-defenseman. As well, he is young and still has room to become even better. In Backman, the Blue Jackets get someone they will probably put on their third-pairing.

Rangers don't have much money left

From John Dellapina of the NY Daily News:

By my calculations - using the nhlscap.com website and adding in today’s re-signing of backup goalie Steve Valiquette and Monday’s qualifying offers to forwards Nigel Dawes and Fredrik Sjostrom - the Rangers have approximately $9 million of cap space left. They could clear some by waiving Christian Backman and sending him to the minors if he isn’t claimed, but still.

You can imagine Jaromir Jagr’s confusion as he sat in his Manhattan apartment Tuesday wondering why the Rangers have held firm to the one-year, $6 million offer they last made him.

Read more from Dellapina here.

Dellapina is right. The Rangers didn't give Jagr or Shanny much in negotiations, but then splurged for Rozsival and Redden. Will they have enough money to bring back more than one impact forward into the fold for next season?