charlio lemieux
12-02-05, 10:49 PM
Fritsche, Zherdev among seven players demoted by the Blue Jackets
COLUMBUS, Ohio (CP) - Forwards Dan Fritsche and Nikolai Zherdev are among a group of seven players the Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned to their minor-league affiliate in Syracuse.
The team also sent goaltender Pascal Leclaire and forwards Steven Goertzen, Joe Motzko and Geoff Platt to the AHL's Syracuse Crunch on Friday along with defenceman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. Columbus doesn't play again until next Thursday at home against the New York Islanders.
Player salaries don't count against the NHL team's $39-million US cap while they are in the AHL, but general manager Doug MacLean said the moves were not to save money.
"We're off for a week and I wanted the kids to play a couple of games in Syracuse," MacLean said. "What's it saving on the cap? Figure it out. Maybe save $20,000.
"It's not a cap issue. I want them playing and we have a week off."
None of the players sent to the AHL on Friday would be subject to re-entry waivers if recalled by Columbus because none has played three NHL seasons.
The 20-year-old Fritsche has appeared in 22 games with the Blue Jackets this season, scoring two goals and adding one assist. The American was a member of the London Knights team that won the Memorial Cup last year.
Zherdev, 21, scored four goals and added seven assists in 25 games this year. In 82 career NHL games, the Russian has 17 goals and 28 assists.
Leclaire, a first-round pick of the Jackets in 2001, recorded his first NHL win by making 32 saves in Minnesota on Wednesday night.
Not a cap issue.....but you've already figured out you'll be saving $20,000 in one week. Hmmmm When a $3million dollar sallary only has a few checks left on it, $20,000 suddenly becomes a much bigger piece of the pie.
Whatever, they got to something to shake these guys up.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (CP) - Forwards Dan Fritsche and Nikolai Zherdev are among a group of seven players the Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned to their minor-league affiliate in Syracuse.
The team also sent goaltender Pascal Leclaire and forwards Steven Goertzen, Joe Motzko and Geoff Platt to the AHL's Syracuse Crunch on Friday along with defenceman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen. Columbus doesn't play again until next Thursday at home against the New York Islanders.
Player salaries don't count against the NHL team's $39-million US cap while they are in the AHL, but general manager Doug MacLean said the moves were not to save money.
"We're off for a week and I wanted the kids to play a couple of games in Syracuse," MacLean said. "What's it saving on the cap? Figure it out. Maybe save $20,000.
"It's not a cap issue. I want them playing and we have a week off."
None of the players sent to the AHL on Friday would be subject to re-entry waivers if recalled by Columbus because none has played three NHL seasons.
The 20-year-old Fritsche has appeared in 22 games with the Blue Jackets this season, scoring two goals and adding one assist. The American was a member of the London Knights team that won the Memorial Cup last year.
Zherdev, 21, scored four goals and added seven assists in 25 games this year. In 82 career NHL games, the Russian has 17 goals and 28 assists.
Leclaire, a first-round pick of the Jackets in 2001, recorded his first NHL win by making 32 saves in Minnesota on Wednesday night.
Not a cap issue.....but you've already figured out you'll be saving $20,000 in one week. Hmmmm When a $3million dollar sallary only has a few checks left on it, $20,000 suddenly becomes a much bigger piece of the pie.
Whatever, they got to something to shake these guys up.