FRITSCHE GONE 

According to the Minnesota Wild’s website Dan Fritsche has been traded to the Wild in exchange for defenseman Eric Reitz. The Detroit, Michigan native, Reitz, 26 (7/29/82), had two points (1g, 1a, 2points) and 41 penalty minutes in 37 (31 this season) career games with the Wild. Reitz is likely the seventh defenseman that the team has been in need of. Reitz is 6’1” and 215 pounds and has essentially been bouncing up and down between the NHL and AHL the past several years. Long term, this has little to no affect apart form moving some spare parts.

The move clears another $375,000 off the Rangers salary cap.

Here’s the official release:

RANGERS ACQUIRE ERIK REITZ

New York sends Dan Fritsche to Minnesota

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen
Sather announced today that the club has acquired defenseman Erik Reitz from
the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Dan Fritsche.

Reitz, 26, 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.

The 6-2, 215-pounder has appeared in 37 career regular season contests with
Minnesota, recording one goal and one assist for two points, along with 45
penalty minutes.  He made his NHL debut on April 7, 2006, at
Calgary.  He has also skated in two career post-season contests with
Minnesota.  In 363 career AHL games with the Houston Aeros, he registered
35 goals and 118 assists for 153 points, along with 721 penalty minutes. 
He established an AHL career-high with 26 assists and tied his AHL career-high
with 34 points in 49 games last season.  He also set his AHL career-high
with nine goals during the 2006-07 season.  Reitz was named the Ontario
Hockey League’s Outstanding Defenseman and an OHL All-Star First Team in 2002
as a member of the Barrie Colts.  Additionally, he was named to the
Memorial Cup Tournament All-Star Team in 2000.  Internationally, he
represented Team USA in the 2002 IIHF World Junior Championships, collecting
one assist and 12 penalty minutes in seven games.

The Detroit, Michigan native was originally Minnesota’s sixth round choice, 170th
overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Fritsche, 22, appeared in 16 games with the Rangers this season, collecting one
goal and three assists for four points, along with two penalty minutes after
being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 2, 2008, along with
Nikolai Zherdev, in exchange for Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman.

Reitz apparently likes to drop the gloves, but if these videos are any indication, perhaps he should work on another aspect of his game.

(Eric Reitz card photo courtesy of checkoutmycards.com)