Maple Leafs Claim Gerber, Reitz Off Waivers

The Toronto Maple Leafs were busy on the waiver wire Wednesday by claiming goaltender Martin Gerber off waivers from the Ottawa Senators and defenseman Erik Reitz from the New York Rangers. With rumors swirling that the Maple Leafs are going to shut down Vesa Toskala for the rest of the season due to an injury, they were looking to shore up their goaltending for the rest of the season. Gerber has struggled all season, being placed on waivers numerous times and being demoted to the Senators' AHL affiliate in Binghamton. In 14 games this season, Gerber is 4-9-1 with a GAA of 2.86 and a .899 save percentage. Gerber will be an adequate replacement for Toskala for the rest of the season as backup Curtis Joseph and prospect Justin Pogge have struggled in net for the Maple Leafs. Reitz had originally been acquired by the Rangers from Minnesota in January for Dan Fritsche. In 42 games this season, Reitz has one goal and one assist. This is a good pickup for the Maple Leafs, as Reitz is a very gritty player who could mesh well with some of the the other young defensemen on the team.

Latest from the NHL Waiver Wire

With the trade deadline almost 24 hours away, several players have been placed on waivers in an effort for their teams to cut some salary. These players will likely have until noon ET tomorrow to clear waivers when waiver wire will come to a close for the 2008-09 season. The list of players currently on waivers include:

Miroslav Satan, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins
Brendan Morrison, C, Anaheim Ducks
Gary Roberts, LW, Tampa Bay Lightning
Martin Gerber, G, Ottawa Senators
Brendan Bell, D, Ottawa Senators
Aaron Voros, LW, New York Rangers
Erik Reitz, D, New York Rangers
Eric Perrin, C, Atlanta Thrashers
Craig Adams, RW, Chicago Blackhawks
Jon Sim, LW, New York Islanders
Lawrence Nycholat, D, Vancouver Canucks (claimed by Calgary Flames on 3/3/2009)

Most of these players are likely on waivers because they have little or no trade value right now. Satan is probably the most marketable player on this list and could be of some use to a team looking to acquire a top-six forward for the playoffs. However, he has had a poor season and has never really clicked well with linemate Sidney Crosby. Perhaps a change of scenery could do Satan some good. The Ducks are looking to free up cap space for returning injured players, so Morrison was the odd man out. Several teams have expressed interest in Roberts, but he will likely have little impact on a playoff team's success. Gerber has been on waivers many times this season and cleared each time, so expect him to clear waivers once again. Bell could be of some interest to teams looking for a depth defenseman. Voros and Reitz were likely waived to make room for Avery. Voros could be of use to teams seeking a physical forward, while Reitz could be of use to anyone looking for a young, physical defenseman. Sim could be of use to a team seeking a depth forward, while Perrin and Adams have played awful this season and will almost certainly go unclaimed.

Wild Acquire Fritsche from Rangers

The Minnesota Wild announced on Thursday that they have acquired center Dan Fritsche from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Erik Reitz. Given the Rangers' depth on offense this season, Fritsche has been limited to 16 games, scoring one goal and three assists for four points. Reitz has played in 31 games with the Wild this season, scoring one goal and one assists while accumulating 41 penalty minutes. This is a decent trade for both teams. Fritsche brings some offensive depth and speed to the Wild's struggling offense, while Reitz brings plenty of toughness to the Rangers' defense. However, it's somewhat puzzling that the Wild traded for Fritsche when they could have acquired him off waivers earlier in the week. While Reitz gives the Rangers some young toughness on defense, he won't address their struggles on the blueline. It would not be surprising to see the Rangers make a trade for an experienced defenseman by the trade deadline, and possibly offer up a forward to do so, such as Petr Prucha.