Tom Renney has been looking for some roster flexibility. Now he has it.
Two days after the Rangers waived extra forward Dan Fritche, Rangers general manager Glen Sather shipped the Ohio native to Minnesota for defenseman Erik Reitz.
The 26 year-old has appeared in 31 games with Minnesota this season, registering one goal and one assist for two points, along with 41 penalty minutes. He was tied for fourth among Minnesota defensemen in goals (one), and tied for third on the club overall in penalty minutes (41). Reitz also ranked second on the Wild with 58 hits. He notched his first NHL point with a goal on November 15 vs. Columbus. He also tallied his first career assist on November 22 vs. St. Louis.
With Reitz on the roster, Renney will have his seventh defenseman, which will allow him to give his backliners a rest. This is something he was mentioning in the last week as the Ranger schedule heats up down the stretch.
And Fritche was not getting any playing time. Passing through waivers yesterday, the 22 year-old only appeared in 13 games this season, registering one goal with three assists. He was acquired over the summer in the same deal that brought Nikolai Zherdev to Broadway.
The move will also save the Rangers approximately $162,000 on the salary cap this season.
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